Heritage Foundation Sparks Republican Rift Over US Support for “Israel”

By Staff, Agencies

A long-simmering dispute over Washington’s backing of “Israel” erupted publicly this week after Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts defended commentator Tucker Carlson, saying that “Christians can critique the state of 'Israel' without being antisemitic.”

As reported by Responsible Statescraft, Roberts’s comments—made amid backlash to Carlson’s interview with extremist Nick Fuentes—have deepened internal divisions within the Republican Party between traditional pro-“Israel” hawks and a growing restraint-oriented faction skeptical of foreign entanglements.

While Roberts condemned many of Fuentes’s views, he urged open debate, prompting strong reactions from establishment conservatives including Senator Ted Cruz and other think tanks seeking to distance themselves from Heritage and Carlson.

Meanwhile, MAGA and America First voices have rallied behind Roberts, portraying the controversy as part of a broader reassessment of US foreign policy priorities.

Analysts say the rupture reflects a deeper ideological clash within the GOP: a neoconservative establishment that sees unwavering support for “Israel” as central to US interests versus a paleoconservative and restraint movement arguing for reduced overseas commitments.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has reiterated that backing “Israel” is “innately tied to America’s fundamental interests.” Yet polling shows a growing segment of Republican voters—particularly younger ones—favor less involvement abroad and express increasing skepticism toward “Israel.”

Journalist Murtaza Hussain noted that Carlson’s platform has become “a vehicle for a segment of the political establishment unhappy with the current terms of the US-'Israel' relationship.”

The Heritage Foundation’s intervention, he added, has turned simmering tension into an open GOP policy battle over “Israel” and America’s global role.