Conservative Divide Over US-Israel Alliance and 'America First'

Conservative Foreign Policy Divisions

• 🎯 The annual National Conservatism conference revealed significant divisions within the conservative movement regarding foreign policy, particularly concerning the U.S.-Israel alliance.
• 💡 A key debate pitted interventionists, like Max Abrams, against anti-interventionists, such as Curt Mills, over the nature of 'America First' and unconditional support for Israel.

Critiques of Unconditional Support for Israel

• ⚠️ Curt Mills argued that the U.S. relationship with Israel, especially under Republican administrations, resembles a 'tail wagging the dog' dynamic, with Israel exerting undue influence.
• 🗣️ Mills criticized the Trump administration for cracking down on critics of Israel under the guise of preventing anti-semitism, thereby stifling free speech on Middle East issues.
• ✈️ The debate touched upon historical incidents, including the Beirut bombing in 1983, where former Mossad spy Victor Ostrovsky's book suggests Israeli intelligence may have had foreknowledge and failed to warn the U.S.

Shifting Conservative Views on Foreign Policy

• 📈 Despite a July Gallup poll showing 71% of Republicans approve of Israel's actions in Gaza, there's a growing anti-war sentiment on the grassroots level of the right-wing.
• 🎤 Dave Smith noted that at a Turning Point USA event, a significant portion of the crowd agreed with his anti-war stance, indicating a massive shift among young right-wingers.
• 🚫 Critics argue that decades of U.S. foreign policy interventions have been based on lies, leading to immense human cost and national bankruptcy, prompting a rejection of these policies.

Concerns Over Censorship and Labeling

• 🔒 There is a growing concern that as anti-war sentiment increases, there will be more censorship and attempts to label dissenters as terrorists.
• 📢 The argument is made that labeling critics of Israeli policy as anti-semites is a tactic to avoid engaging with substantive critiques of American foreign policy and its consequences.