Using antisemitism to splinter MAGA coalition

The goal seems to be replacing the evangelical core with a political movement of misfits

- JOSH HAMMER

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-Ga.) and then-Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) in 2022.

IF ONE WERE DEAD set on dividing President Trump's MAGA coalition at the seams, how would he proceed?

Trying to drive a wedge through the immigration issue doesn’t necessarily make sense: Tightening and securing America’s borders is so core to the nationalist-populist MAGA project that there can be little room in the coalition for much dissent. Trying to divide MAGA along economic laissez-faire or populism lines is also doomed to fail: As important as pocketbook issues are to everyday Americans, the wonky details of fiscal policy generally don’t stoke fiery passion.

One could do a lot worse, however, than focusing on Jews — and specifically, on the respective relationships between American Jews and American Christians and between the United States and Israel. I experienced this firsthand, yet again, this week.

As an observant Jew, I was offline recently for the holiday of Sukkot — also known as the Feast of Booths or the Feast of Tabernacles. Of all the Jewish holidays, it is the one most intimately affiliated with pure joy and happiness. As it says in Leviticus, “you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for a seven day period.” And so I did.