Will Israel really let a notorious social media influencer visit the country?
Six months ago Clavicular was singing along to Kanye West's "Heil Hitler" song at a club in Miami. Now he says he plans to go to Israel to 'kiss the wall'
Braden Eric Peters, dubbed online as ‘Clavicular’ is an American internet personality, capturing the ears of millions of people every day on social media. He is best known for spreading the term ‘looksmaxxing’ – an online campaign aimed at mocking those who don’t go to the ends of the earth to improve their physical looks. Sounds like a guy you’d want your kids to grow-up idolising, right? Not.
Well, this individual is embarking on a trip to the Jewish state to “kiss the wall”, as he so cheaply says. This term is now widely used to diminish one of our holiest sites, degrade our worship to just a ‘wall’ and to stoke conspiracy theories about the power of “kissing the wall” – usually through posting pictures showing American Presidents or celebrities visiting the site. Just imagine if a non-Muslim disparages Mecca, or a non-Christian speaks so narrowly of the Holy Sepulchre? There would be outrage, and justifiably so. However, when a social-media influencer mocks a tradition at one of Judaism’s holiest sites, there is silence.
In January this year, Clavicular was involved in an incident at a club in Miami alongside a group of some of the world’s most notorious online hate personalities. This included Nick Fuentes, Sneako and Myron Gaines – all notorious for their major online followings and regular antisemitic statements. They were filmed singing along to “Heil Hitler,” a Kanye West song that uses Nazi imagery: perfectly epitomising how dangerous these individuals are.
As a 20 year-old Jewish person, watching the footage from the Miami incident involving Clavicular and others was deeply unsettling – not because a single song or moment can reveal everything about someone’s beliefs, but because of the wider context surrounding it. The people present mattered. This was not simply a random group of friends making an off-colour joke; it involved figures who have built large online audiences while repeatedly engaging with openly antisemitic and extremist rhetoric. It highlighted the alarming direction of travel of our generation.
Clavicular’s platform reflects a microcosm of the broader global infection that is antisemitism and its normalization. From weekly pro-Palestine protests to a parade of different governments attacking Israel at every opportunity – major institutions are now infested with antisemitic libels. Not only are influencers at the beating heart of spreading Jewish conspiracies, but they proudly champion it and are proud. It sometimes feels like Israel has lost the social media war so many times since 7 October, it may as well throw in the towel. It’s tempting to ponder whether, given the world is consumed with lies about Jews in general and Israel in particular, why should we appease them?
Maybe I am wrong. Maybe Clavicular will have an educational and meaningful experience in Israel which will shift his outlook on the world – a trip to the holy land is filled with Shawarma, Backgammon and Israeli Dancing.
However, given the extensive questioning from Israeli security at airports, I’m not sure he is going to get very far.
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