The Lie:

Candace Owens claims Israel is responsible for Europe’s Muslim immigration crisis.

The Truth:

Europe’s large-scale Muslim immigration comes from Europe’s own history and choices — its colonial legacy, its labor-market demands, its foreign policy, and its asylum laws. It is not the result of Israeli actions.

Background

• On a recent episode of the Candace Owens Show, Candace alleged that Israel caused Europe’s immigration crisis.
  
• Europe’s Muslim population grew from roughly 39–40 million in 2010 to 46 million in 2020, a 16% increase.
  
• Large-scale Muslim immigration is an existential crisis for Europe’s future, overwhelming local institutions, destabilizing politics, and eroding the continent’s cultural cohesion.
  

Truth Explained:

• Europe’s migration surge began long before modern Israeli conflicts: Post-WWII labor recruitment and 1970s family reunification formed Europe’s first major Muslim communities.  https://www.brookings.edu/articles/europes-angry-muslims/
  
• Refugee waves were driven by wars in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan — not Israel: From 2014–2016, 1.8M refugees arrived fleeing ISIS, Assad, and Taliban violence. Pew confirms none of these flows were linked to Israel.  https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2017/11/29/europes-growing-muslim-population/
  
• Europe’s own policies — not Israel — are what increased migration from outside the EU. Brexit, looser student-visa rules, humanitarian programs, and expanded work permits all led to increased Muslim immigration to the EU. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_BRI(2025)772910
  
• Islamist rhetoric online reflects Europe’s own integration challenges — not Israeli activity: Clips of radical Muslim preachers discussing the “soft conquest” of Europe stem from Europe’s internal struggles with political Islam. https://www.ispionline.it/en/publication/political-islam-in-europe-challenges-and-implications-203300 https://www.hoover.org/research/islamism-and-immigration-germany-and-european-context
  
• A viral November 2025 clip shows Muslim Brotherhood–aligned figures saying that after centuries of failed military attempts to conquer Europe, they now pursue a “soft conquest” by taking advantage of Europe’s permissive migration systems — a vulnerability created entirely by European governance, not Israel. They emphasize that Western openness allows them to advance their aims “for free,” framing their objective as eroding and replacing host cultures. https://x.com/realMaalouf/status/1986017308788101192?s=20
  
• No credible institution connects Israel to European immigration patterns: The Hoover Institution notes that immigration toin Europe is “inextricably tied to questions of Islam and Islamism” and driven by arrivals from Turkey, Syria, and North Africa, where many migrants come from societies with widespread antisemitic attitudes. https://www.hoover.org/research/islamism-and-immigration-germany-and-european-context

Quotes

• “The sharp rise in the number of regular migrants can be attributed to the liberalisation of migration laws, making it easier for non-EU migrants to work in the UK, a campaign aimed at attracting more foreign students, and the high number of visas granted to people on humanitarian grounds.” — European Parliament Briefing, 2025
  
• “The mass immigration of Muslims to Europe was an unintended consequence of post-World War II guest-worker programs.” — Brookings Institution, 2005
  
• “Today about one in five residents was born outside Germany, and of those born outside the EU, most come from Muslim majority countries, especially Turkey and Syria.” — Hoover Institution, 2024
  
• “In Europe, political Islam gained prominence due to increased Muslim migration, particularly after World War II, as well as the arrival of more academically educated individuals.” — ISPI, 2025
  

Takeaway

Europe’s migration challenges are the product of Europe’s own policies, demographics, and neighboring conflicts — not Israel. No credible demographic, academic, or security institution links Israel to Europe’s immigration patterns. Claims that do so are conspiracy theories, not facts.