There is going to be plenty of analysis in the media and attempts by Republicans to explain the scale of their midterm election losses in the coming days and weeks. It didn’t take long for Vice President JD Vance to post his own thoughts on X:
Vance identified the war with Iran as the primary driver of voter discontent. Granted, the results of the conflict (or lack thereof) have impacted the costs of certain goods, gasoline most notably, and it’s no surprise when the electorate prioritizes their personal financial situation.
But what really raises alarm bells is how Vance has thrown Israel into the mix of reasons for the Republican defeat and how America needs to “change its relationship” with the Jewish state in the future.
A segment of the American conservative movement, including figures such as Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, and Megyn Kelly, has spread anti-Israel views imbued with antisemitism and conspiracy theories. While the U.S. Vice President has been careful not to publicly repeat these claims, he has notably failed to take to task those who have done so.
So when he effectively tweets ‘it’s Israel’s fault,’ it’s clear what many will take from that.
It’s a stretch to believe that President Donald Trump was led or misled by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu into war with Iran. Trump has demonstrated that he does what he wants, and to suggest otherwise when it comes to Israel brings up tail-wagging-the-dog tropes. In any case, Trump himself has said that while the war was politically damaging, “At the same time, if I had to do it again, I’d have to do it again… You can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”
One can also speculate that it’s not the war itself that is unpopular. As with most wars, if one side achieves a victory, it is politically advantageous for the leader who can take credit. That the U.S., for all of its tactical achievements on the battlefield, left the Straits of Hormuz out of the strategic equation is no fault of Israel. Ultimately, the Iranian regime’s chokehold on that important stretch of water is one of the continuing headaches for the Americans.
Also worth noting is that it was America that negotiated and agreed to ceasefires despite Israel’s desire to continue the war until a decisive blow to the Iranian regime had been delivered.
Putting all of that aside, it’s hard not to believe that Vance is going down the rabbit hole that both extremes of the political spectrum, from right to left, have been engaging in when it comes to Israel and the Jews even before the war.
Vance would do well to think carefully about what he has said about Israel. Because, as we saw with the election advertisement for Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign that blamed Israel for the high price of groceries, it’s easy to sink into the gutter of antisemitism or encourage others to go there.
And with both Vance on one side and newly-elected Democrats such as El-Sayed and Darializa Avila Chevalier bringing their own unhinged hatred of Israel to Capitol Hill, it’s clear that Israel and her supporters in the U.S. can expect a turbulent time over the coming years.
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© Divuach Ne’eman R”A, 2025
