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Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 104 (from laksa122)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa104.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.ms.now/opinion/netanyahu-jesus-genghis-khan\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.ms.now/opinion/netanyahu-jesus-genghis-khan\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.ms.now\/opinion\/netanyahu-jesus-genghis-khan","crawl_time":1775390221,"first_indexed_time":1774030735,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"now,ms!www,\/opinion\/netanyahu-jesus-genghis-khan s443","src_root_hash":"15459566131319385504","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Netanyahu tries to explain his Jesus comments after furious backlash from some MAGA allies","meta_descriptions":["Some right-wing influencers pounced on the Israeli prime minister for remarks he made about Jesus and Genghis Khan."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Mar. 20, 2026, 2:18 PM EDT\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn’t doing the Trump administration any favors as it tries to convince Americans that President Donald Trump’s\nwar with Iran\nis just and worth its tremendous costs. \nThe prime minister prompted a bit of a conniption on social media Thursday with comments he made invoking Jesus and Genghis Khan — comments that garnered hand-wringing from\nsome\nliberals\nand outrage from some conservative evangelicals. \nNetanyahu’s comments attributed a quote to writer Will Durant about Jesus Christ supposedly having no inherent advantage over Genghis Khan. Netanyahu\nsaid\n:\nYou know, one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, someone that I admire a lot, was the historian Will Durant. Now, he wrote many volumes. I read most of them. He also wrote The Lessons of History, a very brief, 100-page book, in which he said, well, history proves that, unfortunately and unhappily, Jesus Christ has no advantage over Genghis Khan. Because if you are strong enough, ruthless enough, powerful enough, evil will overcome good. Aggression will overcome moderation. So you have no choice. If you look at the world as it is today, you have to be blind not to see that the democracies led by the United States have to reassert their will to defend themselves. And to oppose their enemies in time, while there’s still time, before the jarring gong of danger wakes them up and wakes them up too late. This is where we are now.\nTo me, it seems pretty clear that rather than denigrating Jesus, Netanyahu’s comments were largely about framing his and Trump’s deadly war with Iran as a holy war requiring violence and aggression. It was basically propaganda mirroring the disturbing\nChristian nationalist rhetoric U.S. military officials have deployed\nabout the conflict in recent weeks.\nNonetheless, online, Netanyahu faced a wave of backlash from some American netizens who\nframed Netanyahu’s comments\nas a “blasphemous” insult to Jesus. This tweet from\nConfederacy-defending Pete Hegseth associate Joshua Haymes\nis a prime example. \nAnyone Nation that blasphemes the Name of Jesus Christ is not an ally, much less our “greatest ally.”\nChrist is King.\nhttps:\/\/t.co\/8jsMw68sV0\n— Joshua Haymes (@haymes_joshua)\nMarch 19, 2026\nSome MAGA influencers veiled\ntheir brazen\nantisemitism\nwith righteous indignation. These responses speak to\ngrowing divisions in the MAGA movement over antisemitism and support for Israel\n.\nThe backlash was so intense that it apparently prompted Netanyahu to issue a statement on social media Friday. \n“More fake news about my attitude towards Christians, who are protected and flourish in Israel,” the prime minister said, according to a quote attributed to him that was posted to his official X account. For the record,\nstories have surfaced in the past year\nof Christians facing violence in the West Bank from Israeli settlers, which is to say that some might quibble with the idea that Israel is protecting Christians. \nNetanyahu continued his defense in\na follow-up tweet\n. \n“To the contrary, I cited the great American historian Will Durant. A fervent admirer of Jesus Christ, Durant stated that morality by itself is not enough to ensure survival.”\nPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:\nMore fake news about my attitude towards Christians, who are protected and flourish in Israel.\nLet me be clear: I did not denigrate Jesus Christ at my news conference this evening.\n— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM)\nMarch 20, 2026\nNetanyahu and his administration have\ntried to make inroads with pro-MAGA influencers\nin an attempt to stem the rise of anti-Israel rhetoric on the right. Meanwhile, pro-Israel politicians and political groups, such as AIPAC,\nseem to be increasingly unpopular among Democrats\n, if recent elections are any indication.  \nThe Israeli government clearly wants to garner more American support for its actions in the Middle East, but it’s fair to say that’s a work in progress. And invoking quotes that can be interpreted as throwing shade at Jesus — or suggesting Jesus and Genghis Khan were evenly matched — probably isn’t the best way to achieve that goal.\nJa’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog.","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to content](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/opinion\/netanyahu-jesus-genghis-khan#wp--skip-link--target)\n\n[Opinion](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/opinion)\n\n[Morning Joe](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/morning-joe)\n\n[RacheL Maddow](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show)\n\n[Deadline: White House](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/deadline-white-house)\n\n[The weekend](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/the-weekend)\n\n[NEWSLETTERS](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/newsletters)\n\n## Featured Shows\n[![](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/RACHEL_MADDOW_THUMB_480x720.png)](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/rachel-maddow-show)\n\n**the rachel maddow show**mondays 9pm et\n\n[![](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/MORNING_JOE_THUMB_480x720.png)](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/morning-joe)\n\n**morning joe**weekdays 6am 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allies](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/opinion\/netanyahu-jesus-genghis-khan)\nShare this –\n\n- [Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/opinion\/netanyahu-jesus-genghis-khan?share=facebook&nb=1)\n- [Share on X (Opens in new window) X](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/opinion\/netanyahu-jesus-genghis-khan?share=x&nb=1)\n- [Share on Mail (Opens in new window) Mail](mailto:?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Netanyahu%20tries%20to%20explain%20his%20Jesus%20comments%20after%20furious%20backlash%20from%20some%20MAGA%20allies&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ms.now%2Fopinion%2Fnetanyahu-jesus-genghis-khan&share=email)\n\n- [Share on Print (Opens in new window) Print](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/opinion\/netanyahu-jesus-genghis-khan?share=print&nb=1)\n- [Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)WhatsApp](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/opinion\/netanyahu-jesus-genghis-khan?share=whatsapp&nb=1)\n- [Share on Reddit (Opens in new 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Khan.\n\nA LOT MORE MONEY DOWN THE LINE MSNOW'S LAURA BARON LOPEZ IS COVERING THE WHITE HOUSE MSNOW\n\n1 second of 10 minutes, 27 secondsVolume 0%\n\nPress shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts\n\nKeyboard Shortcuts\n\nEnabledDisabled\n\nShortcuts Open\/Close\/ or ?\n\nPlay\/PauseSPACE\n\nIncrease Volume↑\n\nDecrease Volume↓\n\nSeek Forward→\n\nSeek Backward←\n\nCaptions On\/Offc\n\nFullscreen\/Exit Fullscreenf\n\nMute\/Unmutem\n\nDecrease Caption Size\\-\n\nIncrease Caption Size\\+ or =\n\nSeek %0-9\n\nSubtitle Settings\n\nOff\n\nEnglish\n\nCC\n\nFont Color\n\nWhite\n\nFont Opacity\n\n100%\n\nFont Size\n\n100%\n\nFont Family\n\nArial\n\nCharacter Edge\n\nNone\n\nEdge Color\n\nBlack\n\nBackground Color\n\nBlack\n\nBackground Opacity\n\n50%\n\nWindow Color\n\nBlack\n\nWindow Opacity\n\n0%\n\nReset\n\nWhite\n\nBlack\n\nRed\n\nGreen\n\nBlue\n\nYellow\n\nMagenta\n\nCyan\n\n100%\n\n75%\n\n50%\n\n25%\n\n200%\n\n175%\n\n150%\n\n125%\n\n100%\n\n75%\n\n50%\n\nArial\n\nCourier\n\nGeorgia\n\nImpact\n\nLucida Console\n\nTahoma\n\nTimes New Roman\n\nTrebuchet MS\n\nVerdana\n\nNone\n\nRaised\n\nDepressed\n\nUniform\n\nDrop Shadow\n\nWhite\n\nBlack\n\nRed\n\nGreen\n\nBlue\n\nYellow\n\nMagenta\n\nCyan\n\nWhite\n\nBlack\n\nRed\n\nGreen\n\nBlue\n\nYellow\n\nMagenta\n\nCyan\n\n100%\n\n75%\n\n50%\n\n25%\n\n0%\n\nWhite\n\nBlack\n\nRed\n\nGreen\n\nBlue\n\nYellow\n\nMagenta\n\nCyan\n\n100%\n\n75%\n\n50%\n\n25%\n\n0%\n\nAuto540p (1735 kbps)\n\n1080p (4545 kbps)\n\n720p (3395 kbps)\n\n540p (1735 kbps)\n\n360p (946 kbps)\n\n270p (498 kbps)\n\n270p (279 kbps)\n\nLive\n\n00:01\n\n10:26\n\n10:27\n\n[Trump tells MS NOW: Iran still has ‘nuclear dust,’ ‘it’s totally buried, but they can unbury it’](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/chris-jansing-reports\/watch\/trump-tells-ms-now-iran-still-has-nuclear-dust-it-s-totally-buried-but-they-can-unbury-it-2492987459649)   March 20, 2026 \/ 10:27\n\nMar. 20, 2026, 2:18 PM EDT\n\nBy   [Ja'han Jones](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/author\/jahan-jones)\n\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn’t doing the Trump administration any favors as it tries to convince Americans that President Donald Trump’s [war with Iran](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/news\/trump-interview-ms-now-ruhle-iran-newsom-cuba) is just and worth its tremendous costs.\n\nThe prime minister prompted a bit of a conniption on social media Thursday with comments he made invoking Jesus and Genghis Khan — comments that garnered hand-wringing from [some](https:\/\/x.com\/krystalball\/status\/2034736251618631944?s=46) [liberals](https:\/\/x.com\/benlorber8\/status\/2034852352318923152?s=46) and outrage from some conservative evangelicals.\n\nNetanyahu’s comments attributed a quote to writer Will Durant about Jesus Christ supposedly having no inherent advantage over Genghis Khan. Netanyahu [said](https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/netanyahu-transcript-we-have-to-be-more-powerful-than-the-barbarians-or-they-will-crash-our-gates-destroy-our-societies\/):\n\n> *You know, one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, someone that I admire a lot, was the historian Will Durant. Now, he wrote many volumes. I read most of them. He also wrote The Lessons of History, a very brief, 100-page book, in which he said, well, history proves that, unfortunately and unhappily, Jesus Christ has no advantage over Genghis Khan. Because if you are strong enough, ruthless enough, powerful enough, evil will overcome good. Aggression will overcome moderation. So you have no choice. If you look at the world as it is today, you have to be blind not to see that the democracies led by the United States have to reassert their will to defend themselves. And to oppose their enemies in time, while there’s still time, before the jarring gong of danger wakes them up and wakes them up too late. This is where we are now.*\n\nTo me, it seems pretty clear that rather than denigrating Jesus, Netanyahu’s comments were largely about framing his and Trump’s deadly war with Iran as a holy war requiring violence and aggression. It was basically propaganda mirroring the disturbing [Christian nationalist rhetoric U.S. military officials have deployed](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/ali-velshi\/iran-holy-war-trump-christian-nationalism-pete-hegseth) about the conflict in recent weeks.\n\nNonetheless, online, Netanyahu faced a wave of backlash from some American netizens who [framed Netanyahu’s comments](https:\/\/x.com\/haymes_joshua\/status\/2034732990257864902?s=20) as a “blasphemous” insult to Jesus. This tweet from [Confederacy-defending Pete Hegseth associate Joshua Haymes](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/top-stories\/latest\/trump-influencers-slavery-maga-rcna238690) is a prime example.\n\n> Anyone Nation that blasphemes the Name of Jesus Christ is not an ally, much less our “greatest ally.”  \n>   \n> Christ is King. <https:\/\/t.co\/8jsMw68sV0>\n> \n> — Joshua Haymes (@haymes\\_joshua) [March 19, 2026](https:\/\/twitter.com\/haymes_joshua\/status\/2034732990257864902?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)\n\nSome MAGA influencers veiled [their brazen](https:\/\/x.com\/MillerStream\/status\/2034729512366457125?s=20) [antisemitism](https:\/\/x.com\/dalepartridge\/status\/2034737795982582215?s=20) with righteous indignation. These responses speak to [growing divisions in the MAGA movement over antisemitism and support for Israel](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/opinion\/sameerah-munshi-resigns-religious-liberty-commission-carrie-prejean-boller).\n\nThe backlash was so intense that it apparently prompted Netanyahu to issue a statement on social media Friday.\n\n### More from MS NOW Daily\nMust reads from Today's list\n\n[![Catherine Hanaway participates in a forum on Jul 26, 2016 in Jefferson City, Mo.](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/260209-catherine-hanaway-zz.jpg?w=80&h=80&crop=1)](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/opinion\/missouris-failed-dei-suit-vs-starbucks-offers-lessons-to-big-business)\n\n### [Missouri’s failed DEI suit vs. Starbucks offers lessons to Big Business](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/opinion\/missouris-failed-dei-suit-vs-starbucks-offers-lessons-to-big-business)\n[Ja’han Jones](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/author\/jahan-jones \"Posts by Ja'han Jones\")\n\n[![Rep. Byron Donalds.](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/251229-byron-donalds-es.jpg?w=80&h=80&crop=1)](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/opinion\/byron-donalds-faces-racist-attacks-in-floridas-ugly-gop-gubernatorial-primary)\n\n### [Byron Donalds faces racist attacks in Florida’s ugly GOP gubernatorial primary](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/opinion\/byron-donalds-faces-racist-attacks-in-floridas-ugly-gop-gubernatorial-primary)\n[Ja’han Jones](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/author\/jahan-jones \"Posts by Ja'han Jones\")\n\n“More fake news about my attitude towards Christians, who are protected and flourish in Israel,” the prime minister said, according to a quote attributed to him that was posted to his official X account. For the record, [stories have surfaced in the past year](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/middle-east\/israel-jewish-settlers-west-bank-attacks-christians-rcna218617) of Christians facing violence in the West Bank from Israeli settlers, which is to say that some might quibble with the idea that Israel is protecting Christians.\n\nNetanyahu continued his defense in [a follow-up tweet](https:\/\/x.com\/IsraeliPM\/status\/2034839220942999790?s=20).\n\n“To the contrary, I cited the great American historian Will Durant. A fervent admirer of Jesus Christ, Durant stated that morality by itself is not enough to ensure survival.”\n\n> Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:  \n>   \n> More fake news about my attitude towards Christians, who are protected and flourish in Israel.  \n>   \n> Let me be clear: I did not denigrate Jesus Christ at my news conference this evening.\n> \n> — Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) [March 20, 2026](https:\/\/twitter.com\/IsraeliPM\/status\/2034839218032111684?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)\n\nNetanyahu and his administration have [tried to make inroads with pro-MAGA influencers](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/top-stories\/latest\/bassem-youssef-nelk-boys-netanyahu-interview-rcna222507) in an attempt to stem the rise of anti-Israel rhetoric on the right. Meanwhile, pro-Israel politicians and political groups, such as AIPAC, [seem to be increasingly unpopular among Democrats](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/opinion\/illinois-primaries-aipac-biss-abughazaleh-pritzker-schakowsky), if recent elections are any indication.\n\nThe Israeli government clearly wants to garner more American support for its actions in the Middle East, but it’s fair to say that’s a work in progress. And invoking quotes that can be interpreted as throwing shade at Jesus — or suggesting Jesus and Genghis Khan were evenly matched — probably isn’t the best way to achieve that goal.\n\n[![](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/jahan-jones-msnbc_1.png?w=96)](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/author\/jahan-jones)\n\n[Ja'han Jones](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/author\/jahan-jones)\n\nJa’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog.\n\n![MS NOW](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/MS_NOW_ICON_WHITE-3-1-1.png?w=1000;w=1000;w=1000;w=1000;w=900)\n\n- [About](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/msnow\/msnbccom-digital-contacts-rcna53317)\n- [Contact](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/information\/msnbc-info\/contact-us-n1301857)\n- [help](https:\/\/msnow.zendesk.com\/hc\/en-us)\n- [Careers](https:\/\/careers.versantmedia.com\/)\n- [AD Choices](https:\/\/www.versantprivacy.com\/privacy\/cookies#accordionheader3)\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/versantprivacy.com\/privacy\/?intake=MSNOW)\n- [Your privacy choices](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/opinion\/netanyahu-jesus-genghis-khan)\n- [CA Notice](https:\/\/versantprivacy.com\/privacy\/california-consumer-privacy-act\/?intake=MSNOW)\n- [Terms of Service](https:\/\/versantmedia.com\/terms\/)\n- [MS NOW Sitemap](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/archive)\n- [Closed Captioning](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/closed-captioning-n1241553)\n- [Advertise](https:\/\/together.nbcuni.com\/advertise\/?utm_source=msnow&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=property_ad_pages)\n- [Join the MS NOW insights Community](https:\/\/cnbcrsh.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_3TUNjdZGhQ6s3ZA?Origin=msnowwebsite)\n\n© 2026 Versant Media, LLC\n\n![](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/MS_NOW_PRIMARY_LOGO_WHITE_RGB-2-1.png?w=1024;w=1024;w=1024;w=1024;w=900)\n\n[search by queryly](https:\/\/www.queryly.com\/)\n\n[Advanced Search]()\n\n![close](https:\/\/www.queryly.com\/images\/whitecloseicon.png)\n\n# Search results\nFilters\n\nShow filters\n\nSort by:\n\nRelevance\n\n•\n\nNewest\n\n•\n\nOldest\n\n## No results found\n## Filter options\n\nClose Search\n\n[Search powered by Jetpack](https:\/\/jetpack.com\/upgrade\/search\/?utm_source=poweredby)","attrs_readable_markdown":"Mar. 20, 2026, 2:18 PM EDT\n\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn’t doing the Trump administration any favors as it tries to convince Americans that President Donald Trump’s [war with Iran](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/news\/trump-interview-ms-now-ruhle-iran-newsom-cuba) is just and worth its tremendous costs.\n\nThe prime minister prompted a bit of a conniption on social media Thursday with comments he made invoking Jesus and Genghis Khan — comments that garnered hand-wringing from [some](https:\/\/x.com\/krystalball\/status\/2034736251618631944?s=46) [liberals](https:\/\/x.com\/benlorber8\/status\/2034852352318923152?s=46) and outrage from some conservative evangelicals.\n\nNetanyahu’s comments attributed a quote to writer Will Durant about Jesus Christ supposedly having no inherent advantage over Genghis Khan. Netanyahu [said](https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/netanyahu-transcript-we-have-to-be-more-powerful-than-the-barbarians-or-they-will-crash-our-gates-destroy-our-societies\/):\n\n> *You know, one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, someone that I admire a lot, was the historian Will Durant. Now, he wrote many volumes. I read most of them. He also wrote The Lessons of History, a very brief, 100-page book, in which he said, well, history proves that, unfortunately and unhappily, Jesus Christ has no advantage over Genghis Khan. Because if you are strong enough, ruthless enough, powerful enough, evil will overcome good. Aggression will overcome moderation. So you have no choice. If you look at the world as it is today, you have to be blind not to see that the democracies led by the United States have to reassert their will to defend themselves. And to oppose their enemies in time, while there’s still time, before the jarring gong of danger wakes them up and wakes them up too late. This is where we are now.*\n\nTo me, it seems pretty clear that rather than denigrating Jesus, Netanyahu’s comments were largely about framing his and Trump’s deadly war with Iran as a holy war requiring violence and aggression. It was basically propaganda mirroring the disturbing [Christian nationalist rhetoric U.S. military officials have deployed](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/ali-velshi\/iran-holy-war-trump-christian-nationalism-pete-hegseth) about the conflict in recent weeks.\n\nNonetheless, online, Netanyahu faced a wave of backlash from some American netizens who [framed Netanyahu’s comments](https:\/\/x.com\/haymes_joshua\/status\/2034732990257864902?s=20) as a “blasphemous” insult to Jesus. This tweet from [Confederacy-defending Pete Hegseth associate Joshua Haymes](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/top-stories\/latest\/trump-influencers-slavery-maga-rcna238690) is a prime example.\n\n> Anyone Nation that blasphemes the Name of Jesus Christ is not an ally, much less our “greatest ally.”\n> \n> Christ is King. <https:\/\/t.co\/8jsMw68sV0>\n> \n> — Joshua Haymes (@haymes\\_joshua) [March 19, 2026](https:\/\/twitter.com\/haymes_joshua\/status\/2034732990257864902?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)\n\nSome MAGA influencers veiled [their brazen](https:\/\/x.com\/MillerStream\/status\/2034729512366457125?s=20) [antisemitism](https:\/\/x.com\/dalepartridge\/status\/2034737795982582215?s=20) with righteous indignation. These responses speak to [growing divisions in the MAGA movement over antisemitism and support for Israel](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/opinion\/sameerah-munshi-resigns-religious-liberty-commission-carrie-prejean-boller).\n\nThe backlash was so intense that it apparently prompted Netanyahu to issue a statement on social media Friday.\n\n“More fake news about my attitude towards Christians, who are protected and flourish in Israel,” the prime minister said, according to a quote attributed to him that was posted to his official X account. For the record, [stories have surfaced in the past year](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/middle-east\/israel-jewish-settlers-west-bank-attacks-christians-rcna218617) of Christians facing violence in the West Bank from Israeli settlers, which is to say that some might quibble with the idea that Israel is protecting Christians.\n\nNetanyahu continued his defense in [a follow-up tweet](https:\/\/x.com\/IsraeliPM\/status\/2034839220942999790?s=20).\n\n“To the contrary, I cited the great American historian Will Durant. A fervent admirer of Jesus Christ, Durant stated that morality by itself is not enough to ensure survival.”\n\n> Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:\n> \n> More fake news about my attitude towards Christians, who are protected and flourish in Israel.\n> \n> Let me be clear: I did not denigrate Jesus Christ at my news conference this evening.\n> \n> — Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) [March 20, 2026](https:\/\/twitter.com\/IsraeliPM\/status\/2034839218032111684?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)\n\nNetanyahu and his administration have [tried to make inroads with pro-MAGA influencers](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/top-stories\/latest\/bassem-youssef-nelk-boys-netanyahu-interview-rcna222507) in an attempt to stem the rise of anti-Israel rhetoric on the right. Meanwhile, pro-Israel politicians and political groups, such as AIPAC, [seem to be increasingly unpopular among Democrats](https:\/\/www.ms.now\/opinion\/illinois-primaries-aipac-biss-abughazaleh-pritzker-schakowsky), if recent elections are any indication.\n\nThe Israeli government clearly wants to garner more American support for its actions in the Middle East, but it’s fair to say that’s a work in progress. And invoking quotes that can be interpreted as throwing shade at Jesus — or suggesting Jesus and Genghis Khan were evenly matched — probably isn’t the best way to achieve that goal.\n\nJa’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog.","meta_canonical":null}

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Boilerpipe Text	Mar. 20, 2026, 2:18 PM EDT Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn’t doing the Trump administration any favors as it tries to convince Americans that President Donald Trump’s war with Iran is just and worth its tremendous costs. The prime minister prompted a bit of a conniption on social media Thursday with comments he made invoking Jesus and Genghis Khan — comments that garnered hand-wringing from some liberals and outrage from some conservative evangelicals. Netanyahu’s comments attributed a quote to writer Will Durant about Jesus Christ supposedly having no inherent advantage over Genghis Khan. Netanyahu said : You know, one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, someone that I admire a lot, was the historian Will Durant. Now, he wrote many volumes. I read most of them. He also wrote The Lessons of History, a very brief, 100-page book, in which he said, well, history proves that, unfortunately and unhappily, Jesus Christ has no advantage over Genghis Khan. Because if you are strong enough, ruthless enough, powerful enough, evil will overcome good. Aggression will overcome moderation. So you have no choice. If you look at the world as it is today, you have to be blind not to see that the democracies led by the United States have to reassert their will to defend themselves. And to oppose their enemies in time, while there’s still time, before the jarring gong of danger wakes them up and wakes them up too late. This is where we are now. To me, it seems pretty clear that rather than denigrating Jesus, Netanyahu’s comments were largely about framing his and Trump’s deadly war with Iran as a holy war requiring violence and aggression. It was basically propaganda mirroring the disturbing Christian nationalist rhetoric U.S. military officials have deployed about the conflict in recent weeks. Nonetheless, online, Netanyahu faced a wave of backlash from some American netizens who framed Netanyahu’s comments as a “blasphemous” insult to Jesus. This tweet from Confederacy-defending Pete Hegseth associate Joshua Haymes is a prime example. Anyone Nation that blasphemes the Name of Jesus Christ is not an ally, much less our “greatest ally.” Christ is King. https://t.co/8jsMw68sV0 — Joshua Haymes (@haymes_joshua) March 19, 2026 Some MAGA influencers veiled their brazen antisemitism with righteous indignation. These responses speak to growing divisions in the MAGA movement over antisemitism and support for Israel . The backlash was so intense that it apparently prompted Netanyahu to issue a statement on social media Friday. “More fake news about my attitude towards Christians, who are protected and flourish in Israel,” the prime minister said, according to a quote attributed to him that was posted to his official X account. For the record, stories have surfaced in the past year of Christians facing violence in the West Bank from Israeli settlers, which is to say that some might quibble with the idea that Israel is protecting Christians. Netanyahu continued his defense in a follow-up tweet . “To the contrary, I cited the great American historian Will Durant. A fervent admirer of Jesus Christ, Durant stated that morality by itself is not enough to ensure survival.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: More fake news about my attitude towards Christians, who are protected and flourish in Israel. Let me be clear: I did not denigrate Jesus Christ at my news conference this evening. — Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) March 20, 2026 Netanyahu and his administration have tried to make inroads with pro-MAGA influencers in an attempt to stem the rise of anti-Israel rhetoric on the right. Meanwhile, pro-Israel politicians and political groups, such as AIPAC, seem to be increasingly unpopular among Democrats , if recent elections are any indication. The Israeli government clearly wants to garner more American support for its actions in the Middle East, but it’s fair to say that’s a work in progress. And invoking quotes that can be interpreted as throwing shade at Jesus — or suggesting Jesus and Genghis Khan were evenly matched — probably isn’t the best way to achieve that goal. Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog.
Markdown	[Skip to content](https://www.ms.now/opinion/netanyahu-jesus-genghis-khan#wp--skip-link--target) [Opinion](https://www.ms.now/opinion) [Morning Joe](https://www.ms.now/morning-joe) [RacheL Maddow](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show) [Deadline: White House](https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house) [The weekend](https://www.ms.now/the-weekend) [NEWSLETTERS](https://www.ms.now/newsletters) ## Featured Shows [![](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/RACHEL_MADDOW_THUMB_480x720.png)](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show) the rachel maddow showmondays 9pm et [![](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/MORNING_JOE_THUMB_480x720.png)](https://www.ms.now/morning-joe) morning joeweekdays 6am et [![](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DEADLINE_WH_THUMB_480x720.png)](https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house) deadline: white house with nicolle wallaceweekdays 4pm et [![](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/THE_BEAT_THUMB_480x720.png)](https://www.ms.now/the-beat-with-ari-melber) the beat with ari melberweeknights 6pm et [![](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/THE_WEEKNIGHT_THUMB_480x720.png)](https://www.ms.now/the-weeknight) the weeknightmonday-friday 7pm et [![](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/ALL_IN_THUMB_480x720.png)](https://www.ms.now/all) all in with chris hayestuesday-friday 8pm et [![](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/THE_BRIEFING_THUMB_480x720.png)](https://www.ms.now/jen-psaki) the briefing with jen psakituesday-friday 9pm et [![](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/LAST_WORD_THUMB_480x720.png)](https://www.ms.now/the-last-word) the last word with lawrence o’donnellweeknights 10pm et [![](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/11_HOUR_THUMB_480x720.png)](https://www.ms.now/11th-hour) the 11th hour with stephanie ruhleweeknights 11pm et ## More Shows - 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A LOT MORE MONEY DOWN THE LINE MSNOW'S LAURA BARON LOPEZ IS COVERING THE WHITE HOUSE MSNOW 1 second of 10 minutes, 27 secondsVolume 0% Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts Keyboard Shortcuts EnabledDisabled Shortcuts Open/Close/ or ? Play/PauseSPACE Increase Volume↑ Decrease Volume↓ Seek Forward→ Seek Backward← Captions On/Offc Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf Mute/Unmutem Decrease Caption Size\- Increase Caption Size\+ or = Seek %0-9 Subtitle Settings Off English CC Font Color White Font Opacity 100% Font Size 100% Font Family Arial Character Edge None Edge Color Black Background Color Black Background Opacity 50% Window Color Black Window Opacity 0% Reset White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan 100% 75% 50% 25% 200% 175% 150% 125% 100% 75% 50% Arial Courier Georgia Impact Lucida Console Tahoma Times New Roman Trebuchet MS Verdana None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop Shadow White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% Auto540p (1735 kbps) 1080p (4545 kbps) 720p (3395 kbps) 540p (1735 kbps) 360p (946 kbps) 270p (498 kbps) 270p (279 kbps) Live 00:01 10:26 10:27 [Trump tells MS NOW: Iran still has ‘nuclear dust,’ ‘it’s totally buried, but they can unbury it’](https://www.ms.now/chris-jansing-reports/watch/trump-tells-ms-now-iran-still-has-nuclear-dust-it-s-totally-buried-but-they-can-unbury-it-2492987459649) March 20, 2026 / 10:27 Mar. 20, 2026, 2:18 PM EDT By [Ja'han Jones](https://www.ms.now/author/jahan-jones) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn’t doing the Trump administration any favors as it tries to convince Americans that President Donald Trump’s [war with Iran](https://www.ms.now/news/trump-interview-ms-now-ruhle-iran-newsom-cuba) is just and worth its tremendous costs. The prime minister prompted a bit of a conniption on social media Thursday with comments he made invoking Jesus and Genghis Khan — comments that garnered hand-wringing from [some](https://x.com/krystalball/status/2034736251618631944?s=46) [liberals](https://x.com/benlorber8/status/2034852352318923152?s=46) and outrage from some conservative evangelicals. Netanyahu’s comments attributed a quote to writer Will Durant about Jesus Christ supposedly having no inherent advantage over Genghis Khan. Netanyahu [said](https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-transcript-we-have-to-be-more-powerful-than-the-barbarians-or-they-will-crash-our-gates-destroy-our-societies/): > You know, one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, someone that I admire a lot, was the historian Will Durant. Now, he wrote many volumes. I read most of them. He also wrote The Lessons of History, a very brief, 100-page book, in which he said, well, history proves that, unfortunately and unhappily, Jesus Christ has no advantage over Genghis Khan. Because if you are strong enough, ruthless enough, powerful enough, evil will overcome good. Aggression will overcome moderation. So you have no choice. If you look at the world as it is today, you have to be blind not to see that the democracies led by the United States have to reassert their will to defend themselves. And to oppose their enemies in time, while there’s still time, before the jarring gong of danger wakes them up and wakes them up too late. This is where we are now. To me, it seems pretty clear that rather than denigrating Jesus, Netanyahu’s comments were largely about framing his and Trump’s deadly war with Iran as a holy war requiring violence and aggression. It was basically propaganda mirroring the disturbing [Christian nationalist rhetoric U.S. military officials have deployed](https://www.ms.now/ali-velshi/iran-holy-war-trump-christian-nationalism-pete-hegseth) about the conflict in recent weeks. Nonetheless, online, Netanyahu faced a wave of backlash from some American netizens who [framed Netanyahu’s comments](https://x.com/haymes_joshua/status/2034732990257864902?s=20) as a “blasphemous” insult to Jesus. This tweet from [Confederacy-defending Pete Hegseth associate Joshua Haymes](https://www.ms.now/top-stories/latest/trump-influencers-slavery-maga-rcna238690) is a prime example. > Anyone Nation that blasphemes the Name of Jesus Christ is not an ally, much less our “greatest ally.” > > Christ is King. <https://t.co/8jsMw68sV0> > > — Joshua Haymes (@haymes\_joshua) [March 19, 2026](https://twitter.com/haymes_joshua/status/2034732990257864902?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) Some MAGA influencers veiled [their brazen](https://x.com/MillerStream/status/2034729512366457125?s=20) [antisemitism](https://x.com/dalepartridge/status/2034737795982582215?s=20) with righteous indignation. These responses speak to [growing divisions in the MAGA movement over antisemitism and support for Israel](https://www.ms.now/opinion/sameerah-munshi-resigns-religious-liberty-commission-carrie-prejean-boller). The backlash was so intense that it apparently prompted Netanyahu to issue a statement on social media Friday. ### More from MS NOW Daily Must reads from Today's list [![Catherine Hanaway participates in a forum on Jul 26, 2016 in Jefferson City, Mo.](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/260209-catherine-hanaway-zz.jpg?w=80&h=80&crop=1)](https://www.ms.now/opinion/missouris-failed-dei-suit-vs-starbucks-offers-lessons-to-big-business) ### [Missouri’s failed DEI suit vs. Starbucks offers lessons to Big Business](https://www.ms.now/opinion/missouris-failed-dei-suit-vs-starbucks-offers-lessons-to-big-business) [Ja’han Jones](https://www.ms.now/author/jahan-jones "Posts by Ja'han Jones") [![Rep. Byron Donalds.](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/251229-byron-donalds-es.jpg?w=80&h=80&crop=1)](https://www.ms.now/opinion/byron-donalds-faces-racist-attacks-in-floridas-ugly-gop-gubernatorial-primary) ### [Byron Donalds faces racist attacks in Florida’s ugly GOP gubernatorial primary](https://www.ms.now/opinion/byron-donalds-faces-racist-attacks-in-floridas-ugly-gop-gubernatorial-primary) [Ja’han Jones](https://www.ms.now/author/jahan-jones "Posts by Ja'han Jones") “More fake news about my attitude towards Christians, who are protected and flourish in Israel,” the prime minister said, according to a quote attributed to him that was posted to his official X account. For the record, [stories have surfaced in the past year](https://www.nbcnews.com/world/middle-east/israel-jewish-settlers-west-bank-attacks-christians-rcna218617) of Christians facing violence in the West Bank from Israeli settlers, which is to say that some might quibble with the idea that Israel is protecting Christians. Netanyahu continued his defense in [a follow-up tweet](https://x.com/IsraeliPM/status/2034839220942999790?s=20). “To the contrary, I cited the great American historian Will Durant. A fervent admirer of Jesus Christ, Durant stated that morality by itself is not enough to ensure survival.” > Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: > > More fake news about my attitude towards Christians, who are protected and flourish in Israel. > > Let me be clear: I did not denigrate Jesus Christ at my news conference this evening. > > — Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) [March 20, 2026](https://twitter.com/IsraeliPM/status/2034839218032111684?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) Netanyahu and his administration have [tried to make inroads with pro-MAGA influencers](https://www.ms.now/top-stories/latest/bassem-youssef-nelk-boys-netanyahu-interview-rcna222507) in an attempt to stem the rise of anti-Israel rhetoric on the right. Meanwhile, pro-Israel politicians and political groups, such as AIPAC, [seem to be increasingly unpopular among Democrats](https://www.ms.now/opinion/illinois-primaries-aipac-biss-abughazaleh-pritzker-schakowsky), if recent elections are any indication. The Israeli government clearly wants to garner more American support for its actions in the Middle East, but it’s fair to say that’s a work in progress. And invoking quotes that can be interpreted as throwing shade at Jesus — or suggesting Jesus and Genghis Khan were evenly matched — probably isn’t the best way to achieve that goal. [![](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/jahan-jones-msnbc_1.png?w=96)](https://www.ms.now/author/jahan-jones) [Ja'han Jones](https://www.ms.now/author/jahan-jones) Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog. ![MS NOW](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/MS_NOW_ICON_WHITE-3-1-1.png?w=1000;w=1000;w=1000;w=1000;w=900) - [About](https://www.ms.now/msnow/msnbccom-digital-contacts-rcna53317) - [Contact](https://www.ms.now/information/msnbc-info/contact-us-n1301857) - [help](https://msnow.zendesk.com/hc/en-us) - [Careers](https://careers.versantmedia.com/) - [AD Choices](https://www.versantprivacy.com/privacy/cookies#accordionheader3) - [Privacy Policy](https://versantprivacy.com/privacy/?intake=MSNOW) - [Your privacy choices](https://www.ms.now/opinion/netanyahu-jesus-genghis-khan) - [CA Notice](https://versantprivacy.com/privacy/california-consumer-privacy-act/?intake=MSNOW) - [Terms of Service](https://versantmedia.com/terms/) - [MS NOW Sitemap](https://www.ms.now/archive) - [Closed Captioning](https://www.ms.now/closed-captioning-n1241553) - [Advertise](https://together.nbcuni.com/advertise/?utm_source=msnow&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=property_ad_pages) - [Join the MS NOW insights Community](https://cnbcrsh.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3TUNjdZGhQ6s3ZA?Origin=msnowwebsite) © 2026 Versant Media, LLC ![](https://www.ms.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/MS_NOW_PRIMARY_LOGO_WHITE_RGB-2-1.png?w=1024;w=1024;w=1024;w=1024;w=900) [search by queryly](https://www.queryly.com/) [Advanced Search]() ![close](https://www.queryly.com/images/whitecloseicon.png) # Search results Filters Show filters Sort by: Relevance • Newest • Oldest ## No results found ## Filter options Close Search [Search powered by Jetpack](https://jetpack.com/upgrade/search/?utm_source=poweredby)
Readable Markdown	Mar. 20, 2026, 2:18 PM EDT Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn’t doing the Trump administration any favors as it tries to convince Americans that President Donald Trump’s [war with Iran](https://www.ms.now/news/trump-interview-ms-now-ruhle-iran-newsom-cuba) is just and worth its tremendous costs. The prime minister prompted a bit of a conniption on social media Thursday with comments he made invoking Jesus and Genghis Khan — comments that garnered hand-wringing from [some](https://x.com/krystalball/status/2034736251618631944?s=46) [liberals](https://x.com/benlorber8/status/2034852352318923152?s=46) and outrage from some conservative evangelicals. Netanyahu’s comments attributed a quote to writer Will Durant about Jesus Christ supposedly having no inherent advantage over Genghis Khan. Netanyahu [said](https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-transcript-we-have-to-be-more-powerful-than-the-barbarians-or-they-will-crash-our-gates-destroy-our-societies/): > You know, one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, someone that I admire a lot, was the historian Will Durant. Now, he wrote many volumes. I read most of them. He also wrote The Lessons of History, a very brief, 100-page book, in which he said, well, history proves that, unfortunately and unhappily, Jesus Christ has no advantage over Genghis Khan. Because if you are strong enough, ruthless enough, powerful enough, evil will overcome good. Aggression will overcome moderation. So you have no choice. If you look at the world as it is today, you have to be blind not to see that the democracies led by the United States have to reassert their will to defend themselves. And to oppose their enemies in time, while there’s still time, before the jarring gong of danger wakes them up and wakes them up too late. This is where we are now. To me, it seems pretty clear that rather than denigrating Jesus, Netanyahu’s comments were largely about framing his and Trump’s deadly war with Iran as a holy war requiring violence and aggression. It was basically propaganda mirroring the disturbing [Christian nationalist rhetoric U.S. military officials have deployed](https://www.ms.now/ali-velshi/iran-holy-war-trump-christian-nationalism-pete-hegseth) about the conflict in recent weeks. Nonetheless, online, Netanyahu faced a wave of backlash from some American netizens who [framed Netanyahu’s comments](https://x.com/haymes_joshua/status/2034732990257864902?s=20) as a “blasphemous” insult to Jesus. This tweet from [Confederacy-defending Pete Hegseth associate Joshua Haymes](https://www.ms.now/top-stories/latest/trump-influencers-slavery-maga-rcna238690) is a prime example. > Anyone Nation that blasphemes the Name of Jesus Christ is not an ally, much less our “greatest ally.” > > Christ is King. <https://t.co/8jsMw68sV0> > > — Joshua Haymes (@haymes\_joshua) [March 19, 2026](https://twitter.com/haymes_joshua/status/2034732990257864902?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) Some MAGA influencers veiled [their brazen](https://x.com/MillerStream/status/2034729512366457125?s=20) [antisemitism](https://x.com/dalepartridge/status/2034737795982582215?s=20) with righteous indignation. These responses speak to [growing divisions in the MAGA movement over antisemitism and support for Israel](https://www.ms.now/opinion/sameerah-munshi-resigns-religious-liberty-commission-carrie-prejean-boller). The backlash was so intense that it apparently prompted Netanyahu to issue a statement on social media Friday. “More fake news about my attitude towards Christians, who are protected and flourish in Israel,” the prime minister said, according to a quote attributed to him that was posted to his official X account. For the record, [stories have surfaced in the past year](https://www.nbcnews.com/world/middle-east/israel-jewish-settlers-west-bank-attacks-christians-rcna218617) of Christians facing violence in the West Bank from Israeli settlers, which is to say that some might quibble with the idea that Israel is protecting Christians. Netanyahu continued his defense in [a follow-up tweet](https://x.com/IsraeliPM/status/2034839220942999790?s=20). “To the contrary, I cited the great American historian Will Durant. A fervent admirer of Jesus Christ, Durant stated that morality by itself is not enough to ensure survival.” > Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: > > More fake news about my attitude towards Christians, who are protected and flourish in Israel. > > Let me be clear: I did not denigrate Jesus Christ at my news conference this evening. > > — Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) [March 20, 2026](https://twitter.com/IsraeliPM/status/2034839218032111684?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) Netanyahu and his administration have [tried to make inroads with pro-MAGA influencers](https://www.ms.now/top-stories/latest/bassem-youssef-nelk-boys-netanyahu-interview-rcna222507) in an attempt to stem the rise of anti-Israel rhetoric on the right. Meanwhile, pro-Israel politicians and political groups, such as AIPAC, [seem to be increasingly unpopular among Democrats](https://www.ms.now/opinion/illinois-primaries-aipac-biss-abughazaleh-pritzker-schakowsky), if recent elections are any indication. The Israeli government clearly wants to garner more American support for its actions in the Middle East, but it’s fair to say that’s a work in progress. And invoking quotes that can be interpreted as throwing shade at Jesus — or suggesting Jesus and Genghis Khan were evenly matched — probably isn’t the best way to achieve that goal. Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog.
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