Ep. 16: The War for the Future of MAGA – with Josh Hammer
In this powerful episode of Mideast Horizons, Lahav Harkov and Asher Fredman speak with Josh Hammer, senior editor-at-large at Newsweek, syndicated columnist, and author of Israel and Civilization: The Fate of the Jewish Nation and the Destiny of the West. Hammer dissects the growing ideological rift inside the MAGA movement—between conservatives who see America and Israel as joint pillars of Judeo-Christian civilization, and a “woke Right” drifting toward isolationism, conspiracy theories, and even antisemitism.
He discusses how voices such as Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens have turned their platforms into vehicles for anti-Israel narratives, and why their attacks on Christian Zionists reveal a deeper cultural struggle over faith, truth, and the moral foundations of the West. Hammer argues that defending the U.S.–Israel alliance today means defending the very biblical inheritance that underpins Western civilization, and suggests a new path forward for Jewish-Christian solidarity and combatting antisemitism.
In a moving reflection, Hammer speaks about his late friend Charlie Kirk, describing his courage, loyalty, and deep biblical faith, and the importance of carrying forward his legacy of building bridges between Jews and Christians. He also discusses Candace Owens’ libelous claim that he had foreknowledge of Kirk’s assassination.
In the first segment, Lahav and Asher discuss the ceasefire breakdown in Gaza, Jordanian King Abdullah’s remarks about the limits of a proposed Muslim-led stabilization force, and the realities of Hamas’s continuing control over much of the population. They analyze the Qatari regime’s deep ideological support for terrorism as evidenced by the recently surfaced posts of Qatari spokesman Majed al-Ansari, and explore the risks that Gaza could become a new front in a wider Middle East conflict. Finally, they turn to Israeli politics, assessing the Netanyahu government’s fragile coalition, the looming Haredi draft crisis, and the early maneuvering ahead of possible elections.
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