UnHerd with Freddie Sayers Batya Ungar-Sargon & Sohrab Ahmari: Has MAGA turned against Israel?
Aug 5, 2025
Batya Ungar-Sargon, a sharp political analyst and contributor to UnHerd, joins Sohrab Ahmari to dissect the shifting attitudes of the MAGA movement towards Israel. They explore why support for Israel is waning among the American Right, particularly concerning the conflict in Gaza. The conversation dives into moral and legal obligations under international law, the geopolitical intricacies of Arab-Israeli relations, and the generational divides in public sentiment surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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Nuanced MAGA Support Shift
- The waning support for Israel on the American right is nuanced, not a total collapse. - America First sensibilities lead some to criticize funding Israel's defense, while still being generally pro-Israel.
Complex Morality in Gaza War
- Israel has conducted the Gaza war imperfectly but not immorally. - The moral complexity lies in civilian-combatant ratios and Hamas's use of civilians in conflict.
Skepticism of International Law
- Batya Ungar-Sargon distinguishes moral obligations from legal enforcement in Israel-Palestine. - She rejects the legitimacy of international law enforcement bodies like the UN regarding Israel.
