The phrase ‘Spiritually Israeli’ is popular among younger progressives in the United States, who use it to criticize anything they consider corporate, overly popular, or socially performative.
A new social-media phrase is spreading across TikTok and X, sparking a broader debate over internet humor, pop-culture snobbery, and antisemitism. The term “Spiritually Israeli” has become a shorthand insult applied to trends, brands, or celebrities that users see as overly commercial, inauthentic, or shallow.
The expression began circulating after a TikTok posted by Israeli artist Albert Levy drew sharply divided reactions. In the clip, Levy appeared in uniform while showing his artwork and captioned the video, “I’m an artist from Israel and this is my art.”
Praise mixed with criticism, and detractors described his style as “materialistic” or “soulless.” That exchange set the stage for the phrase’s first documented use a year later, when an X user commented on a video of a matcha rave in Dubai and wrote, “This is Spiritually Israeli.” The post quickly gained traction, receiving nearly 10,000 likes and helping move the expression into broader circulation.