"It has expired": Ben Shapiro with sharp criticism of the Israeli message to the world
Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro criticizes Israeli public diplomacy and the issue of Haredi conscription, assesses that J.D. Vance is leading the Republican race for 2028, and warns of the deepening rift in the American right and radicalization on the left against Israel and the USA.
Conservative commentator and popular podcaster Ben Shapiro addressed the burning issues on the American and global agenda this week, sparing no criticism for the right-wing camp in the US and also for Israel. In a comprehensive interview he gave to the PBD podcast, Shapiro dealt extensively with the effects of October 7, internal Israeli politics, the deepening rift in the American conservative movement, and the future presidential race in 2028.
Israel: "The expiration of moral public diplomacy"
Shapiro, known as a staunch supporter of Israel, began his address regarding the status of Jerusalem in the eyes of the world. According to him, one of Israel's central problems in the international arena is its public diplomacy strategy. "Israel continues to try to present a moral argument regarding its foreign policy, but in a world that operates much more on the basis of 'realpolitik', it has already expired," he explains.
He argues that the alliance between the US and Israel should not rely only on shared values, but on the fact that Israel is a military and technological power, functions as a "land-based aircraft carrier", and has critical intelligence-gathering capabilities in a region saturated with terrorism.
Moreover, Shapiro surprised by noting that he has supported the gradual elimination of current US aid to Israel for about two decades. He emphasized that the Israeli economy is strong enough to support itself, but qualified that in times of emergency, such as the current war on seven fronts, rapid aid from the US is legitimate and necessary.
On the internal level, Shapiro did not spare criticism of the Israeli government. He defined the refusal of the Haredim to serve in the IDF as the country's most serious internal problem today. However, he noted that despite the political disputes surrounding Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he defines as a "cautious center-rightist", there is currently a broad consensus of about 80% of the Israeli public that demands a more offensive policy and proactive striking of threats, as happened in Lebanon.
The race for 2028: "Marco Rubio hates risks"
In the second part of the interview for the PBD podcast, Shapiro analyzed the future of the Republican Party ahead of the presidential elections in four years. By his estimate, the Vice President-elect, J.D. Vance, is the absolute favorite to win the party's primaries, but in his opinion, Vance will have a very hard time in the general elections. Unlike Donald Trump, Shapiro believes that Vance will have difficulty attracting new audiences such as Hispanic voters or women.
When asked about other potential candidates, and in particular about the designated Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Shapiro assessed decisively that Rubio will not run for president. "If you look at his political history, Rubio is a politician who hates risks very much," Shapiro explained. "It's a prisoner's dilemma game for him. If he runs against Vance and loses - he has effectively ended his political career. If he doesn't run, maybe Vance will take him as a deputy." Therefore, Shapiro estimates, Rubio will choose the safe path and avoid direct competition.
The rift in the American right and the blind spot
Shapiro was also asked about the fact that parts of the young conservative audience have begun to see him as a "villain", following his firm positions in favor of Israel and his public clash with populist figures on the right. Shapiro explained this by the disturbing change that the conservative movement is undergoing, many of whom have abandoned the principles of free market and personal responsibility in favor of a politics of victimhood.
According to him, certain influencers on the right are "selling" the young audience the comfortable message that all their problems are the fault of external factors, conspiracies, and the establishment, and thus gain the sympathy of the audience. Shapiro, on the other hand, insists on telling people that the absolute majority of their chances for success or failure stem from the personal decisions they make.
He admitted that his biggest "blind spot" in politics and business is his lack of understanding towards liars and lack of sincerity. "I have a real problem with inauthentic people. I am still amazed when people are willing to be dishonest or driven by cynical personal interests," Shapiro concluded.
Attacking Israel but meaning America
At the same time, in an interview he gave yesterday to the morning show of the Fox News network, he addressed the events in the Democratic Party. "Every argument of the 'Democratic Socialists of America' (DSA) organization against Israel is actually an argument they are directing against America," Shapiro explained. According to him, when members of the organization call Israel a "settler-colonialist state", they mean that the entire Western regime, led by the United States, is based on the exact same idea.
Shapiro added that the false accusations against Israel, as if it is committing genocide in Gaza, are also reflected in their attitude towards American history. "When ordinary people look at them and think they just hate capitalism, they must understand that it's not just capitalism - they just despise America," Shapiro concluded.
