Trump's religious liberty commissioner removed after Zionism dispute

​​​​​​​By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Carrie Prejean Boller, a former Miss California, was removed Wednesday from President Donald Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission following a contentious hearing on antisemitism for what she claimed were efforts to “force” commissioners to affirm Zionism.

Commission Chair Dan Patrick wrote on US social media platform X that the decision to remove Boller was his, accusing her of pursuing a “personal and political agenda” during a hearing Monday.

“No member of the Commission has the right to hijack a hearing for their own personal and political agenda on any issue,” Patrick wrote, adding that what happened was “clearly, without question” grounds for her removal.

Boller wrote in a statement Tuesday that she would not resign and rejected accusations that she had pursued a political agenda.

“Forcing people to affirm Zionism as a condition of participation is not only wrong, it is directly contrary to religious freedom, especially on a body created to protect conscience,” she wrote. “As a Catholic, I have both a constitutional right and a God-given freedom of religion and conscience not to endorse a political ideology or a government that is carrying out mass civilian killing and starvation.”

The controversy stems from a heated hearing at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC, where commissioners questioned witnesses about antisemitism in America.

Boller asked whether criticism of Israel, opposition to Zionism or protests against Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip should be considered “antisemitic.”

“If I don’t support the political state of Israel, am I an antisemite, yes or no?” she asked.

Among those testifying was American Jewish activist Shabbos Kestenbaum, who wrote Monday that he was “deeply disappointed” that one commissioner focused “exclusively on Israel” rather than discrimination against American Christians and Jews.

In a lengthy statement Tuesday, Boller said she wore an American flag pin alongside a Palestinian flag in solidarity with civilians in Gaza and accused some participants of conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism.

“Disagreeing with a government's policies is not 'derangement.' It is a constitutional right and, for me, a matter of Catholic conscience,” she added.