Ben Shapiro’s recent comments drew a line in the sand, drawing a divide within the Republican network of supporters on the issue of Israel. He claimed that the party was being eaten by radicals and accused Tucker Carlson of softening towards white nationalist Nick Fuentes’ views.
The problem is that Fuentes has recently appeared on right-wing media, including Candace Owens’ show, with whom he mostly agrees. The interview exchange between Carlson and Fuentes led some to believe that Fuentes held common opinions with Republicans on immigration and demographics. However, Shapiro was not the first to react with horror at Fuentes’ views, which include racial slurs, Holocaust denial, and the contention that “women want to be raped.”
Shapiro’s outrage was particularly focused on Israel, where Fuentes believes the US should part ways due to what he calls a disproportionate Jewish influence over Washington. The position is rooted in antisemitism, but Carlson also played on common-sense concerns about politics.
The Republican Party’s shift began with MAGA figures publicly dissenting on Israel, and it was only after Tucker Carlson’s friendly conversation with Fuentes that the issue became clear-cut. Carlson invited Palestinian Orthodox religious figures to discuss anti-Christian persecution, as well as Fuentes and other critics of Israel.
While the party’s pro-Israel stance is losing ground, it has found a new home in affluent former-progressive publications like The Free Press, founded by Bari Weiss. This publication centers billionaire media figures and Silicon Valley moguls, who have more adeptly centralized money back into pro-Israel advocacy.
As Republicans consider a break with traditional Israel politics, they must navigate the party’s shifting identity. Some see this shift as an opportunity to reclaim their conservative roots, while others fear it may lead to an increased focus on Western civilization and nationalism.
The ultimate question is whether Weiss’s position will be enough to destabilize the party structure or if it will simply find a new audience.
Source: https://inkstickmedia.com/the-growing-fight-over-zionism-in-the-heart-of-the-gop