The fight over Israel is heating up inside the Trump camp

The “Israel”-centered “civil war” within the “Trumpist Camp” is taking on new dimensions. The defining slogan of this camp is “America First.” This slogan points to a foreign policy focused solely on advancing U.S. interests. Trump had pledged to pull the U.S. out of the “endless wars” that drained Americans’ blood and money. According to this view, all of America’s power should be used for Americans. This approach is summed up in the slogan “Make America Great Again (MAGA).”

The biggest obstacle to “America First,” however, is the United States’ unconditional support for Israel. America’s wars in the Middle East serve only Israel’s interests. This is the source of the rift within the “MAGA camp.” A significant portion of MAGA supporters, who describe “America First” as “America Only,” are disturbed by Israel’s influence over the U.S. That’s why prominent MAGA figures like Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene have clashed with the “Israel Lobby.”

Support for Israel is waning not only among the Democratic base but also among young Republicans. The hawks representing the Republican Party’s mainstream wing are trying to push back against this trend. For this faction, “Israel First” and “America First” mean the same thing. The party’s staunchly pro-Israel wing tries to silence MAGA supporters by labeling any questioning of Israel as “antisemitism.” Yet these efforts fail to stop the young MAGA crowd—on the contrary, they only fuel the fight. The swords appear to be drawn.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, seen as the post-Trump leader of “MAGA,” is trying to balance both sides. Vance doesn’t want to lose the support of MAGA loyalists who emphasize the distinction between “America First” and “Israel First.” Having tied his political future to surfing the MAGA wave, Vance avoids projecting an image of unqualified support for Israel.

Recently, JD Vance attended an event organized by young conservative Republicans at the University of Mississippi. His response to a MAGA-hatted student who asked, “Why are we giving billions to Israel, which is committing ethnic cleansing in Gaza?” drew backlash from Zionist and staunchly pro-Israel circles. Students also mentioned that fanatic Jews in Israel have been spitting on passing Christians.

In his replies to conservative students questioning U.S.-Israel relations, Vance argued that Trump remained committed to the “America First” principle and that alliances and partnerships were defined in line with U.S. interests. He also claimed Israel had no influence over Trump, adding that Netanyahu agreed to a Gaza cease-fire under Trump’s pressure. All these remarks were portrayed in America’s neocon and Zionist circles as yet another sign of an emerging “anti-Jewish” movement within the Republican base.

Neocons and Zionists are calling for Tucker Carlson—one of Israel’s most outspoken critics within the MAGA movement—to be distanced from the Republican Party. Kevin Roberts, president of the Trump-aligned conservative think tank “Heritage Foundation,” defended Carlson. Roberts emphasized that criticism of Israel should be considered natural as long as it doesn’t veer into antisemitism. Underscoring his loyalty “only to America and Jesus Christ,” Roberts also argued that support for Israel should not be seen as obligatory when it conflicts with U.S. interests.

Matt Brooks, executive director of the “Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC),” which represents Jewish donors supporting the GOP, noted that they had worked with Heritage for years but said, “In light of this incident, we will be reassessing our relationship with Heritage.” Republican Senator Ted Cruz, one of Israel’s standard-bearers in the U.S. Senate, expressed his discomfort with the “anti-Israel” movement being portrayed as “antisemitic” within the Republican base during events hosted by “Christian Zionists” and the “Republican Jewish Coalition.”

According to Cruz, the growing anti-Israel sentiment on the right signals an existential crisis for both the Republican Party and the United States. He harshly criticized elected Republicans in Congress for failing to respond to this rise in anti-Israel attitudes. Zionist publications in the U.S., meanwhile, have been warning that the Republican Party may cease to be a safe haven for pro-Israel Americans. It is also noted that Trump has remained silent amid these debates—a silence that staunchly pro-Israel circles find deeply unsettling.