Netanyahu’s Hollow Victory: How “Israel’s” Evangelical Gamble Turned into Strategic Collapse

By Staff, Agencies

As the American evangelical movement fractures and drifts toward nationalism, Netanyahu’s decades-long reliance on faith-based politics leaves “Israel” exposed and isolated.

For decades, “Israel” enjoyed America’s unwavering support — not just as an ally, but as a divine mission. Evangelicals saw defending it as a biblical duty, a step toward the Second Coming. This blend of prophecy and politics gave Netanyahu a robust base in Washington. He courted megachurch pastors, spoke of covenant and destiny, and won billions in US aid while muting criticism of his wars in Gaza and Lebanon.

Now the sacred alliance is splintering. What once looked like foresight now seems like blindness. The very movement that exalted “Israel” in America’s moral imagination is turning away — or even against it.

A Crumbling Covenant

Netanyahu’s long bet on America’s Christian right began as a pragmatic deal. As his confidant Ron Dermer admitted in 2019, “Evangelicals are more reliable than liberal Jews.” For years, the exchange was simple: Netanyahu offered divine symbolism, and evangelicals offered uncritical support at the ballot box and the United Nations.

Yet faith-based alliances age as quickly as their congregations. Younger voters and even younger evangelicals are rejecting the notion that support for “Israel” is a moral duty. According to The Guardian, more than half of Democrats under 35 now sympathize with Palestinians. The language of prophecy no longer resonates with a generation raised on footage of bombed hospitals and starving families.

From Pews to Podcasts

The unraveling unfolded in plain sight — one podcast, one memo, one viral clip at a time. In October, Tucker Carlson invited extremist streamer Nick Fuentes onto his show, where Fuentes blamed America’s wars on “Jewish neocons.” Carlson nodded along, calling criticism of such talk “woke censorship.” Within days, the episode had over five million views — dwarfing the audience of any Sunday sermon.

Carlson’s drift toward antisemitism mirrors a broader shift on the populist right. Yale scholar Eliyahu Stern calls it “a migration away from the old ‘Judeo-Christian’ alliance toward a Christian nationalism that sees Jews as obstacles to a purified West.” This is the new face of a movement Netanyahu once considered his most dependable ally.

The Heritage Firewall Collapses

Even conservative institutions are moving on. When Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts defended Carlson — declaring, “My loyalty is to Christ first and America always” — it sent shockwaves through Washington’s pro- “Israel” circles. Heritage, long a policy arm of the “Israeli” right, soon went further. In March, it released a report urging the US to phase out its $3.8 billion annual military aid to “Israel” by 2047.

For Republican veterans, the message was clear: the old coalition is dead. A senior Capitol Hill staffer put it bluntly, “Heritage just told the base that loyalty to Israel isn’t conservative anymore.”

The Grassroots Revolt

At the grassroots level, the rupture is starker. A Politico investigation revealed group chats of young Republican leaders swapping memes about “Jew bankers” and “gassed journos.” When questioned, Senator J.D. Vance dismissed the uproar as “pearl-clutching over edgy jokes.” Among younger conservatives, the sentiment is simple: “Israel” can handle itself.

A senior “Israeli” diplomat admitted that polling shows a 20-point drop in favorable views of “Israel” among white evangelicals under 35 since the Gaza war began. “We built a bridge to a moving train,” he said, “and the train is heading somewhere we don’t want to go.”

Losing America’s Conscience

Meanwhile, Democrats are no longer providing cover. Once bipartisan, US support for “Israel” is now deeply polarized. Even stalwart allies like Senator Chris Van Hollen are urging that aid be tied to human rights standards. As Haaretz observed, the moral vocabulary that once bound America to “Israel” — democracy, equality, human rights — has been hollowed out by images of mass civilian deaths.

Netanyahu may still claim battlefield victories — striking Hezbollah, expanding settlements, suppressing dissent —. Still, he has lost the strategic war for America’s conscience. His alliance with the Christian right, once his political shield, now exposes “Israel” to moral scrutiny and ideological drift.

The Hollow Victory

Netanyahu’s government boasts triumph but masks decline. The evangelical base he cultivated is shrinking, hardening, and turning inward. The once-powerful “Judeo-Christian” bond between Jerusalem and Washington has soured into weariness and doubt.

By tying “Israel’s” fate to an aging, insular movement, Netanyahu estranged the broader American public that once saw its cause as righteous. “Israel” retains military strength and lobbying reach, but its moral standing — especially among the young — is crumbling.

Netanyahu’s proudest success may yet be his undoing: a victory built on faith that no longer believes.