newsletter
  • Military

“Do Not Join or Remain in the United States Military,” Candace Owens Insists After Former Israeli Defense Minister Says He ‘Excludes Nothing’ on Possible Ground Troops

  • Rob Glenn
  • March 8, 2026

Political commentator Candace Owens urged Americans not to enlist or remain in the U.S. armed forces following remarks by former Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz suggesting that ground troops could eventually be used in the escalating confrontation with Iran.

Owens posted the message on social media after a widely circulated interview clip from Sky News aired earlier this month.

“Do not join or remain in the United States Military. Trump has betrayed America and expects you to die for Israel,” Owens wrote on wrote on social media “There is no honor in being led by dishonorable men to your death.”

Her comments came in response to a March 2 interview in which Sky News journalist Yalda Hakim asked Gantz whether the conflict with Iran could eventually involve troops on the ground.

During the exchange, Gantz said it was too early to determine how the situation might evolve but did not rule out the possibility of deploying ground forces.

“I would not exclude it,” Gantz said when asked whether boots on the ground might eventually be necessary.

When pressed on whether that could include Israeli forces, he responded: “I exclude nothing. We’ve been waiting for forty-seven years, and we came to a point where every necessary means should be taken in order to achieve our goals.”

Gantz framed the campaign against Iran as part of a broader effort to weaken the country’s leadership and military infrastructure, saying operations were currently focused on “neutralizing Iran’s command and control system” and reducing its ability to influence the wider region.

The interview also touched on the human cost of the conflict. Asked whether Israeli officials had factored in rising civilian casualties if the campaign continued for several weeks, Gantz acknowledged the risks.

“There are no free lunch,” he said. “The more you want to achieve, the more you have to pay.”

Owens later doubled down on her criticism in a second post, reiterating her call for Americans to avoid military service and accusing political leaders of supporting the war for corrupt reasons.

“Zionists are having a meltdown about what I said yesterday so let me reiterate,” she wrote. “Do NOT sign up for or continue to fight for the U.S military.”

The remarks come amid heightened tensions across the Middle East as military operations involving Israel and Iran escalate, raising questions among policymakers and analysts about the potential for a wider regional conflict.

So far, U.S. officials have not indicated that American ground forces would be deployed in the conflict, though Washington has continued to support Israel militarily and diplomatically during the ongoing hostilities.