Navigating a Shifting Landscape
Jordan Price responds to a conversation between Bret Stephens & Ross Douthat.
The Gaza war has not only reshaped Israel’s strategic posture but has also accelerated a dramatic reconfiguration of American political identity. The extended conversation between New York Times columnists Bret Stephens and Ross Douthat offers a rare, in-depth look at how a war waged half a world away is redrawing the moral and political lines here at home.
A Righteous Cause in a Complicated War
Brett Stephens begins with moral clarity: Israel's response to October 7 was both justified and inevitable. He compares the slaughter of 1,200 Israelis to “12 or 15 9/11s,” noting the profound intimacy of grief in such a small nation. His insistence that Israel could not not respond echoes historical analogies—D-Day, Sherman’s March to the Sea, the firebombing of Hamburg. As General Sherman said, “war is cruelty.”
Ross Douthat pushes further, asking not only whether Israel's actions were justified—but whether they are wise. Is there a moral threshold, he asks, beyond which even a justified war becomes morally corrosive? If so, how do we measure that threshold, and are we honest enough to apply it to ourselves?
It’s an uncomfortable but essential conversation—especially for American Jews who want to support Israel proudly yet find themselves grappling with the moral weight of the war and a surge in antisemitism that has made such support feel increasingly fraught and unsafe.
The Realignment: Gaza’s Impact on U.S. Politics
The most sobering takeaway from this discussion, however, lies not in battlefield tactics but in battlefield consequences. The Gaza war has acted as an accelerant to trends already simmering in U.S. politics.
On the far left, the shift is stark. Terms like ‘settler colonialism,’ ‘genocide,’ and even calls to ‘globalize the intifada’—have become widely accepted, particularly on college campuses. This trend has been fueled in part by over a decade of Qatari funding to major U.S. universities—totaling billions of dollars—which has helped legitimize anti-Israel narratives in academic and activist circles. Protesters no longer veil their positions behind policy critiques; some now openly call for the end of the Jewish state. And it began—Stephens notes pointedly—not after Gaza’s destruction, but on October 8, before Israel had even launched its counteroffensive.
Meanwhile, on the right, traditional evangelical support for Israel remains robust—but new undercurrents emerge. The “America First” wing, skeptical of foreign entanglements, is growing louder. Contrarian voices like Tucker Carlson and Candance Owens question the very basis of foreign aid, even to democratic allies. The old bipartisan consensus around Israel is eroding, and what replaces it is unclear. Both columnists agree: the war has moved the needle. But for Jews in America, the consequences are deeply personal.
Anti-Zionism vs. Anti-Semitism: A Dangerous Conflation
One of the most poignant parts of the dialogue revolves around the difference between criticism of Israel and denial of Israel’s right to exist. Stephens is unambiguous: “Anti-Zionism is not criticism of Israeli policy; it is criticism of the existence of the state of Israel.” This, he argues, is where anti-Semitism reveals itself—not in protests over bombings, but in demands that Jews abandon the only place in the world they can call home. Douthat adds another layer: for many on the far left, Israel has become a stand-in for unresolved guilt and conflict over America’s own settler-colonial past. The United States is viewed as a colonial project—but one that is already ‘settled,’ with no viable path to undo its foundations. Israel, by contrast, remains a live battleground, still fighting for recognition as a legitimate, sovereign state. That contested status—unrecognized as legitimate by some—makes Israel a more convenient target. At stake is not merely a nation’s policies, but the very right of the Jewish people to a sovereign refuge in a world that has expelled, persecuted, and massacred us for generations.
Israel’s Burden: A Refuge and a Mirror
In one of the most moving moments of the conversation, Stephens recounts the Jewish historical trauma—pogroms, expulsions, genocide—and argues that Israel’s fundamental responsibility is not to satisfy diaspora Jews’ PR concerns, but to ensure there is always a safe place to go. Yet both speakers agree: Israel’s actions reverberate. The country must not only survive; it must consider how its behavior influences the fate of Jews elsewhere, particularly in a time when anti-Semitism—online, on campus, and in politics—is resurgent. The tension is real: Israel cannot base its national defense strategy on American political optics. And yet, ignoring those optics may lead to the unraveling of Jewish safety in the very place where most Jews still live—the United States. A long-term solution may lie in gradually weaning off the $3.3 billion in U.S. military aid—funds that largely cycle back into the American economy through defense spending with companies like Lockheed Martin and Boeing. Israel must remain a close ally of the United States, but true sovereignty means developing the capacity to produce its own munitions and defend itself independently.
What Comes Next?
On a brighter note, one unexpected consequence of this moment is a renewed desire among many Jews—especially younger ones—to reconnect with the Jewish community. As antisemitism rises and discourse around Israel grows more hostile, many are seeking spaces where they feel understood, supported, and connected. Synagogues, Jewish student groups, Federations, and Israel volunteer programs have all seen a resurgence in engagement. While diaspora communities are turning inward for strength and solidarity, Israel itself is navigating a complex and shifting strategic landscape. In the short term, it may well emerge from this war with more secure borders, weakened Iranian proxies, and new regional diplomatic openings through the Abraham Accords. Yet these strategic gains come at a time when Israel’s actions are reverberating far beyond its borders—reshaping how it’s perceived globally and how Jews experience their identity and safety abroad. This conversation is not the final word. But it is a rare example of two thinkers, from different ideological perspectives, confronting the moral and strategic complexities of our moment with clarity and humility.
Jordan Price
Director of Programming
Jewish Federation of St. Joseph Valley
(574) 233-1164 x1811
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