{"id":2636668,"date":"2026-07-28T12:33:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T16:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/op-ed-dont-follow-the-left-into-fratricide-over-israel\/"},"modified":"2026-07-28T12:42:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T16:42:10","slug":"op-ed-dont-follow-the-left-into-fratricide-over-israel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/op-ed-dont-follow-the-left-into-fratricide-over-israel\/","title":{"rendered":"Op-Ed: Don&#8217;t Follow the Left into Fratricide Over Israel"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fop-ed-dont-follow-the-left-into-fratricide-over-israel%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2636668&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The passage discusses the tendency of both political parties-left and right-to fixate on Israel as a primary or single-issue point in their ideological debates. Historically, issues like abortion and Vietnam achieved similar fixation levels, but currently, attitudes toward Israel have become a divisive and pivotal factor, especially on the left. On American college campuses, a preoccupation with Israel\u2019s investments and politician support has expanded into political excommunication of even liberal allies seen as too friendly to Israel, exemplified by recent primary defeats of Democrats like Dan Goldman and Diana degette.<\/p>\n<p>The article criticizes the disproportionate attention given to israel\u2019s actions, pointing out that many othre countries engage in worse conduct but receive less scrutiny. On the right, some factions have also become intensely focused on Israel, sometimes to the point of supporting uncritical backing for Israel\u2019s policies, even above loyalty to figures like President Trump. J.D. Vance\u2019s nuanced approach to Israeli and American interests has faced backlash from conservatives who view it as insufficiently supportive.<\/p>\n<p>The author stresses the importance of avoiding fratricide within American politics over Israel and advocating for a broader viewpoint that considers numerous issues globally and domestically. They emphasize that ideological purity or single-issue loyalty can be counterproductive, urging both sides to prioritize strategic and comprehensive approaches over divisive fixation on Israel.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Few issues become singular fixations that determine politicians\u2019 allegiances to the exclusion of all other matters. Such issues drive politicians and voters to excommunicate allies who otherwise perfectly align with them ideologically.<\/p>\n<p>Over the past 60 years, very few issues, like abortion and Vietnam, have attained this status. Now, unnaturally and arguably irrationally, attitudes toward Israel have become single-issue deal breakers and drivers of fratricide on the political left.<\/p>\n<p>We on the right should proceed with caution, as some conservative commentators are following suit in making this a counterproductive litmus test within our movement.<\/p>\n<p>On the left, it started at several elite universities, where students became obsessed with the completely inconsequential impact of their schools\u2019 endowment investments in companies that do business in Israel. This gradually expanded to the excommunication of any politician with a friendly attitude toward Israel, even if he or she was otherwise a devout progressive.<\/p>\n<p>The best example of this phenomenon came with the primary defeat of New York Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman in June.<\/p>\n<p>As an incumbent, strict liberal, strident critic of Donald Trump, and lead counsel in impeachment hearings, Goldman was an unlikely candidate for a serious primary challenge. However, he maintained the firm support for Israel once typical among liberal New York politicians, and that, primarily, was enough to defeat him by over 30 points (and deny him service in a coffee shop in his district, to add insult to injury).<\/p>\n<p>A week after Goldman\u2019s loss, Colorado Representative Diana DeGette, who had an impeccable liberal record, lost to anti-Israel zealot Melat Kiros in a primary that closely followed the script from the earlier New York race.<\/p>\n<p>It is difficult to understand how the left has made perceived transgressions by Israel paramount to all other issues when there are numerous other international actors whose actions are worse by a quantum.<\/p>\n<p>The hard left shrieks about Israel\u2019s actions in Gaza but does not whisper about the rest of the Arab world, which will not take in refugees from that miserable spot. Nearby, Iran recently killed perhaps 40,000 street protesters.<\/p>\n<p>The outrage directed at Israel is not so much selective as it is comical.<\/p>\n<p>Some on the right have become equally obsessed with Israel as a single determinative issue. Unequivocal support for positions taken by Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu now seems like a priority even above support for President Trump, who had the right\u2019s undivided loyalty.<\/p>\n<p>A significant faction on the right, that is otherwise completely aligned with Vice President J.D. Vance, is working feverishly to prevent him from becoming the next GOP nominee for president based on his perceived recent coolness to Israel. This faction has become overtly strident in the wake of Vance\u2019s recent interview with Joe Rogan. (In the interest of solidarity, I\u2019ll omit specific names.)<\/p>\n<p>Important voices within Israel, like Jerusalem Post Editor Zvika Klein, have warned that Vance\u2019s critics among American conservatives have no legitimate basis to characterize him as an anti-Israeli effigy.<\/p>\n<p>In the Rogan interview, Vance gently suggested that while Israeli and American interests typically align, at times they might depart, and in such instances, he does not begrudge Israel\u2019s aggressive advocacy for its own interests. He merely suggested tactical nuance, alternate carrots and sticks for Iran as opposed to the strictly sticks approach advocated by Netanyahu.<\/p>\n<p>That was enough to prompt some members of our conservative movement to declare that he should never be president.<\/p>\n<p>The United States has seen fit to have a special relationship with Israel, but for a few of our friends on the right, it is never enough.<\/p>\n<p>There is too much at stake over the entire menu of domestic and foreign issues to sabotage a potential generational political talent like J.D. Vance over purity with respect to Israel. We should leave single-issue allegiance and fratricide over Israel to the left.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><i><b>The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either d or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/submitop-ed\/\">here<\/a>.<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #171717; display: flex;font-size: 16px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.5;margin: 24px 0;padding: 18px 20px 18px 30px;text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"align-self: stretch;border-left: 3px solid #171717;flex-shrink: 0;padding-left: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/\">Choose The Western Journal as your preferred source on Google and never miss reporting that defends truth, protects freedom, and advances Western civilization<\/a><\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey == typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts = { \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs = [ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]] = document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display = 'block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display = 'none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src = firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display = 'inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id'] = firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting = jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display = 'none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display = 'block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/body><\/html><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Certain issues become fixations that shape politicians\u2019 loyalties, often excluding all else. These topics lead to the rejection of allies who otherwise share their ideology. In the last 60 years, only a few, like abortion and Vietnam, reached this level. Today, attitudes toward Israel have become such a divisive and seemingly irrational single-issue focus on both sides of politics<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2636669,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-07-27T163906.939.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[15847,4671,32726,15322,32171],"class_list":["post-2636668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-conflicts","tag-israel","tag-middle-east","tag-op-ed","tag-political-commentary"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-07-27T163906.939.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2636668","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2636668"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2636668\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2636671,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2636668\/revisions\/2636671"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2636669"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2636668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2636668"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2636668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}