What Ben Shapiro got wrong about US politics

The audience repeatedly erupted in applause during Ben Shapiro’s address at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Tel Aviv. The thousands of attendees loved the witty publicist’s every punch line.

Shapiro described Israel’s success, its overflowing natural growth, and the danger that the world and Israel face from the ideologies of the far Left. One could not help but connect with the sentence, “The State of Israel must always be connected to its Jewish roots. Indeed, G-d keeps his promises. Israel is a nes.”

Although Shapiro gave a good address, he unintentionally led his Israeli fans into a trap by binding his support for the Republican Party with US support for Israel.

“Seventy-one percent of Republicans have a positive view of Israel, compared to 44% of Democrats and independents who lean Democrat,” he said. “A majority of those under the age of 30, heavily Democrat, some 56% have an unfavorable view of the State of Israel. That same group tends to fall heavily into the camp that believes American exceptionalism is evil and that group is gaining ground extremely fast in the United States.”

Shapiro warned not only of his political opponents but also of Jews who do not observe the commandments according to Jewish law as he does.

When interviewed by journalist Amit Segal after his address, Shapiro said that “it’s an unfortunate reality of life in the United States that Reform Judaism as a branch does not see Jewish identity in a serious way as central. If as a Jew your values are more in line with same-sex marriage, transgenderism and abortion, than they are, for example, for the safety and security of the State of Israel, I have serious questions about how you think about yourself as a Jew.

“So if I’m looking at who’s likely to back Israel … data [shows] that Jews are the single most atheistic of” all.

In other words, Shapiro left his Israeli listeners with the message that they would have nothing to look for with Democrats and/or non-Orthodox Jews. The subtext was that only Republicans and observant Jews support Israel, and everyone else is a lost cause.

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With all due respect to Shapiro, his remarks are, first of all, factually incorrect. There are many progressive Democrats who are staunch supporters of Israel, such as Hakeem Jeffries, who chairs the House Democratic Caucus, Ritchie Torres, who is openly gay, and Shontel Brown, and many more.

As for non-Orthodox Jews, there are too many to name who care about the State of Israel and act on its behalf. Alternatively, not all Republicans care about the Jewish state. As such, Shapiro’s black-and-white division is simply wrong.

Worse yet, encouraging Israelis to “coddle” in the bosom of Republicans and Orthodox Judaism is dangerous.

Shapiro predicts a sweeping victory for the Republican Party in the upcoming elections, which may or may not happen. In the US, the Democratic Party is currently in charge, and there is no reason to assume it will not continue otherwise.

Anyone who has taken the first step on the bridge between Washington and Jerusalem knows that maintaining bipartisan support is essential for Israel’s future. That is, even if Shapiro’s remarks were true, Israel cannot simply rely on the Republicans alone. If it did, it would put itself at risk.

Therefore, those who really care about Israel cannot escape to the Republican comfort zone, but must instead fight for the continued support of the Democratic Party, which is already being done, and successfully.

As a US citizen, Shapiro is of course entitled to his opinions. His fans, however, must remember that, in this context, he and they are not on the same page.

Ariel Kahana is a diplomatic correspondent for Israel Hayom.