Israel is Tearing MAGA Apart

As the conflict between Israel and Hamas rages on, splits over the issue are appearing among prominent voices on the right, which has traditionally shown the most unified and ardent support for Israel.

In recent weeks, there has been a very public feud between conservative commentator Candace Owens, host of The Candace Owens Show, and her The Daily Wire boss Ben Shapiro.

It comes at the same time the war in the Middle East has laid bare deep divisions on the left, with the Democratic establishment increasingly facing searing criticism for its pro-Israel stance from younger progressives who are predominantly pro-Palestinian. As well as widespread demonstrations, U.S. President Joe Biden has faced appeals to call for a ceasefire and accusations of being complicit in a genocide from his own congressional allies.

But while the left-wing split over the Israel-Hamas war appears centered on a pre-existing ideological difference between support for Israel or Palestine, one expert suggested the divisions on the right were linked to tensions over whether America ought to be a geopolitical leader or taking a more isolationist stance.

"Republican views in general (not just MAGA) are more diverse than they seem on the surface," Julie Norman, a professor of politics at University College London, whose research focuses on the U.S. and Middle East, told Newsweek.

Owens has recently drawn criticism from other conservatives over her comments seemingly regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict. While she later said she had not been referring to any specific nation, earlier in November Owens stated that "no government anywhere has a right to commit genocide," an accusation that has been leveled at Israel which it and the White House have denied.

To date, an estimated 1,200 Israelis have been killed, mostly in Hamas attacks on October 7, according to the Associated Press, while the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says 11,200 Palestinians have died in subsequent Israeli airstrikes and a ground offensive in Gaza, the AP reports.

On Tuesday, Owens posted to X, formerly Twitter, two biblical quotes from Matthew, including "blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God," and "you cannot serve both God and money."

Shapiro, who is Jewish and who has expressed staunchly pro-Israel views, took exception to the post, writing in response that "if you feel that taking money from The Daily Wire somehow comes between you and God, by all means quit." Owens called him "utterly out of line" and accused him of behaving "unhinged for weeks now."

Shapiro was later captured on video criticizing Owens further. Asked about the video and the frank exchange of views by Tucker Carlson, she said the two "have many disagreements," including over the COVID vaccine and America's support for Ukraine in the ongoing Russian invasion.

Since Israel began its latest campaign in Gaza, there have been pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the globe, including on many U.S. college campuses, which in some cases have spilled over into expressions of support for Hamas' actions and overt antisemitic threats.

In October, when Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy described the students involved as "simple fools" endorsing "boneheadedly wrong ideas" but said they should not be blacklisted for doing so, Fox News host Megyn Kelly reacted with incredulity.

Owens sided with Ramaswamy, writing that "college kids are stupid."

That particular disagreement speaks to a wider tension among conservatives on the limits of free speech, but it was Owens and Shapiro's prior divergence over Ukraine that may suggest why these splits are beginning to show over Israel.

While she could not comment on interpersonal feuds, Norman said: "Most [GOP] policymakers are vocally in lockstep with Israel, but the more isolationist wing of the party doesn't want to get pulled in further to an unpredictable conflict in the Middle East, and some voters are wary of increasing foreign aid in general, even to long-standing allies like Israel.

"This is a bit different than the seeming 'pro-Israel' v. 'pro-Palestine' split that we see in the Democratic Party, and more a reflection of the competing tensions in the GOP between 'America as Global Leader' v. 'America First' perspectives," she added.

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