Carrie Prejean Boller was booted from the commission after she stirred up debate and condemnation for claiming Israel committed “genocide” in Gaza in its war against Hamas to avenge its 2021 attack.
Beyond that volatile issue, Boller also cited her Catholic faith to criticize Jews and Israel.
“I'm a Catholic, and Catholics do not embrace Zionism, just so you know,” Boller, who wore a Palestinian flag pin, told her fellow commissioners at one point.
Since the topic of the meeting was antisemitism, Boller argued it is not antisemitic to criticize Zionism.
Zionism is the belief the modern-day State of Israel belongs to the Jewish people, rather than to Muslims and Arabs, because it is their ancestral homeland.
A fellow Catholic who was sitting in the audience Monday and witnessed Boller’s comments is Frank Pravone, the pro-life activist. He told American Family Radio that Boller acted “childish” and “immature,” and it appeared to him she wanted to hijack the meeting to express her own agenda.
“Never have I seen the audience roll their eyes, and scratch their heads, the way that they did every time she spoke,” Pavone, who has attended the commission’s previous meetings, told show host Jenna Ellis.
On the hot-button issue of Zionism, Pavone did not shy away from the topic in the AFR interview. Despite what Boller stated, the former Catholic priest said the Catholic Church doesn’t reject that belief.
“If what you mean by ‘Zionism’ is that the people of Israel have the right to their own state,” he said.
There are two different viewpoints on Zionism, one a theological one based on biblical prophecy and one a more political one about a modern Jewish state, Pavone said. During the commission’s contentious debate, he recalled a Jewish scholar acknowledged it’s fair to make a distinction about biblical prophecy and Israel.
“What was also said accurately,” Pavone recalled, “is this gives nobody the right to say that Israel doesn't have a right to its to its own country.”
That argument was also made by a Catholic commission member, religious scholar and author Ryan Anderson.
"We don’t think anyone needs to think that modern-day Israel is a fulfillment of biblical prophecy,” Anderson commented. “That is vastly different than saying that the modern nation state of Israel does not have a right to exist."
Boller was booted by the commission by its chairman, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
"No member of the Commission has the right to hijack a hearing for their own personal and political agenda on any issue," he wrote on X. "This is clearly, without question, what happened Monday in our hearing on antisemitism in America. This was my decision."
