Rubio's war remarks blow open MAGA's Israel divide

[rooster]

Originally Posted by Turner2099

MAGA will support this. Christian Nationalists are foundational to MAGA and many buy into Trump being chosen by God. They are staunchly pro-Israel and the attacks on Iran fit right into the prophecy/end of world/Armageddon narrative.

THIS is really important. Remember that Mike Huckabee is the U.S. Ambassador to Israel. He is an ordained Southern Baptist minister and is a strongly committed Zionist. He has made many statements like "“Everything that I embrace as a Christian is rooted in the promises that God gave to the Jewish people.”

That "promise" includes taking the West Bank, which he has very much supported.

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[fd-guy]

Originally Posted by Turner2099

MAGA will support this. Christian Nationalists are foundational to MAGA and many buy into Trump being chosen by God. They are staunchly pro-Israel and the attacks on Iran fit right into the prophecy/end of world/Armageddon narrative.

Originally Posted by rooster

THIS is really important. Remember that Mike Huckabee is the U.S. Ambassador to Israel. He is an ordained Southern Baptist minister and is a strongly committed Zionist. He has made many statements like "“Everything that I embrace as a Christian is rooted in the promises that God gave to the Jewish people.”

That "promise" includes taking the West Bank, which he has very much supported.

.

Those are both intriguing points. The religious aspect probably does play some role for part of the coalition. Christian Zionism has been part of American politics for a long time, and people like Huckabee clearly talk about Israel in theological terms.

At the same time, U.S. support for Israel has traditionally rested on several different pillars — religious support, strategic alignment, domestic political coalitions, and lobbying influence.

What I find interesting about the current moment is that at least one part of the MAGA coalition — the America First / anti-intervention wing — may be less comfortable with military involvement abroad than traditional Republican foreign policy has been.

On the point about MAGA ultimately supporting this, I’m curious what you mean exactly. Do you mean they’ll ideologically support it, or that they’ll eventually fall in line politically because Trump backed it? Those seem like slightly different things, and I’m interested in which you think is more likely.

[rooster]

Originally Posted by fd-guy

...
On the point about MAGA ultimately supporting this, I’m curious what you mean exactly. Do you mean they’ll ideologically support it, or that they’ll eventually fall in line politically because Trump backed it? Those seem like slightly different things, and I’m interested in which you think is more likely.

You make me think about that, and I think....BOTH. They are different. But overlap by a lot.

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[Turner2099]

Originally Posted by fd-guy

On the point about MAGA ultimately supporting this, I’m curious what you mean exactly. Do you mean they’ll ideologically support it, or that they’ll eventually fall in line politically because Trump backed it? Those seem like slightly different things, and I’m interested in which you think is more likely.

Originally Posted by rooster

You make me think about that, and I think....BOTH. They are different. But overlap by a lot.

Like a perpetual motion machine. They ideologically support it and they see Trump continuing to support them, so they double-down on supporting Trump.

To see an interesting interview about Christian Nationalism with Michael Emerson, Ph.D, who serves as the Baker Institute’s Chavanne Fellow in Religion and Public Policy at Rice University, watch starting at 1:29:26. They touch on the fear of "other".

https://www.youtube.com/live/FJyGhm2...nM6xfGeipDR7ya

[fd-guy]

Originally Posted by Turner2099

Like a perpetual motion machine. They ideologically support it and they see Trump continuing to support them, so they double-down on supporting Trump.

To see an interesting interview about Christian Nationalism with Michael Emerson, Ph.D, who serves as the Baker Institute’s Chavanne Fellow in Religion and Public Policy at Rice University, watch starting at 1:29:26. They touch on the fear of "other".

https://www.youtube.com/live/FJyGhm2...nM6xfGeipDR7ya

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. That's the kind of talk I wanted to see in this thread. The idea of a "perpetual motion machine" is a good way to explain how ideology and leadership signals can work together.

I'll check out the Emerson interview you talked about. A lot of research on nationalism and political identity talks about the idea of "fear of the other."

What I still find interesting is how stable that dynamic really is. The America First side has always been against foreign interventions, so if a conflict goes on for a long time or costs a lot of money, it could put some stress on that group.

[Precious_b]

Originally Posted by Jacuzzme

If I were an Israeli citizen I’d be critical of Netanyahu’s response to Oct 7 as being way too soft. Imagine if something like that happened here in the states.

Leveling Gaza and wanting to turn it into a parking lot was too soft?!?!

Originally Posted by Yssup Rider

Bibi is pulling the strings here. Trump is just a useful idiot.

Both of them need to be out.

Clear. Concise. Precise.

This perfectly sums things up.

Originally Posted by rooster

THIS is really important. Remember that Mike Huckabee is the U.S. Ambassador to Israel. He is an ordained Southern Baptist minister and is a strongly committed Zionist. He has made many statements like "“Everything that I embrace as a Christian is rooted in the promises that God gave to the Jewish people.”

That "promise" includes taking the West Bank, which he has very much supported.

.

Sounds like extremist talk to me.

And i've always said ANY extermist is dangerous.