WASHINGTON (TNND) — The Republican Party has historically been more pro-Israel than the Democrats, but over the past year the tide appears to be shifting, whether that be with lawmakers, commentators or younger voters that align with the GOP.

Recently during a Hanukkah celebration at the White House, President Donald Trump warned that the Israel lobby was no longer the post powerful in Washington, D.C.

“If you go back, 10, 12, 15 years ago, the most, the strongest lobby in Washington was the Jewish lobby, it was Israel,” he said.

“That’s no longer true. You have to be very careful.”

Other GOP presidents such as Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush had a great relationship with Israel.

Following Israel being attacked by Hamas two years ago, Bush put out a statement saying the US had to support Israel, “No ands, ifs or buts,” according to The Guardian.

Criticism of Israel began mostly among Democrats, progressives and later some Republicans after the war in Gaza began.

The war started after the terrorist group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The attack resulted in 1,200 people being killed and over 200 people being taken as hostages.

Many lawmakers on both sides of the aisle condemned Hamas and showed support for Israel. As the war went on, public opinion shifted, specifically on war tactics used by Israel.

The Gaza Health Ministry reported in November that Palestinian death toll had surpassed 70,000, with many civilians being women and children, according to PBS.

On Oct. 10, the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, which was brokered by Trump, went into effect. All the living hostages were returned. However, in November, both sides accused each other of violating the ceasefire.

In early December, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that they should be able to move into phase two of the ceasefire.

Mainstream conservative voices questioning Israel

Once a staunch supporter of the United States’ 2003 invasion of Iraq; conservative commentator Tucker Carlson previously said he felt “stung” by the Iraq wars’ aftermath, which cost $3 trillion and took the lives of 4,431 American soldiers.

Ever since then, Carlson has become a leading skeptic of the United States’ military interventions in foreign nations, squaring off with neoconservatives who push “forever wars.” He’s sided against the United States’ support for Ukraine in the Russo-Ukraine war, advocated against the United States entering into a proxy-war with Iran, and has been highly critical of Israel’s actions in the Gaza War as well as the U.S. government’s support and Christian Zionism.

In contrast with foreign policy precedent set for decades, Carlson has called Israel “a completely insignificant country” and that the United States possessed “no overriding strategic interest” in Israel, arguing the United States would be better off aligning with Qatar, which has granted support to Hamas.

“From an American point of view, the only reason Israel is significant is because we provide a secure security guarantee,” Tucker shared at the Doha Forum in December. “We have to defend Israel because, I’m not sure why.”

Carlson has suggested that the United States’ strong backing of Israel stems from two sources: the lobbying group American Israel Public Affairs Committee and the Christian Zionist movement in the United States, both of which he argues do not serve the interests of Americans.

Carlson has called Christian Zionism a “brain virus” and condemned American Christian leaders for supporting Israel, which he accuses of intentionally murdering “tens of thousands of children.”

“From my perspective as an American Christian, Protestant American Christian, it is like, yeah, of course I think what Israel is doing is disgusting. It is indefensible,” Carlson said. “But my real rage, what I am actually upset about, I never rage about the Israelis or the Jews at my house. My rage is directed toward my people, Protestant Christian, evangelical pastors who have made deals with the Israeli government, or have theology so deranged that they think their Christian faith requires them to support the murder of children, including Christian children.”

But it was Carlson’s decision to host far-right White Nationalist Nick Fuentes for a two-hour interview on his podcast in October, which truly splintered conservative circles. At one point in the interview, Carlson asked Fuentes who in the conservative movement needed to be removed in which Fuentes responded, “these Zionist Jews.”

Jewish conservative commentator Ben Shapiro called Carlson “an intellectual coward” for giving Fuentes a platform to share his views, which include xenophobic, misogynic, anti-semitic themes.

But other leaders in the conservative movement came to Carlson’s defense such as Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts, who later resigned. His support for Carlson led to a mass exodus at the conservative think tank; although Roberts later clarified that he condemned Fuentes’ rhetoric.

Tensions within the conservative movement centered around Israel reached an all-time high at TurningPoint USA’s Americafest this December.

Shapiro took aim at leaders in the conservative movement, explicitly calling out Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson, and Steve Bannon, for not condemning the myriad conspiracy theories of conservative commentator Candace Owens, who has claimed that Israel was behind the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

The theory that Israel was behind Kirk’s assassination comes as Kirk, a staunch and proud Zionist, was perceived to be growing more skeptical of the Israeli government. Kirk never publicly raised questions about Israel’s actions in the Gaza War, but supporters of the theory suggest Kirk’s decision to host a round table discussion with Turning Point chapter leaders who engaged in open discussion and raised questions about the Israeli government. At the beginning of the clip, Kirk affirmed that it was ok for people to question the Israeli government and that it wasn’t antisemitic.

Kelly pushed back on Shapiro’s comments at Americafest. She also criticized CBS Editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, who posted a portion of one of Shapiro’s speech “Only Cowards Tolerate Conspiracy Theorists” on her publication the Free Press’ website. Kelly argued that Weiss and Shapiro were the ones responsible for creating anti-semites — not Tucker Carlson.

“It’s this very loud group of pro-Israel activists that is trying to make this the litmus test about whether you get to call yourself a conservative, and they lack standing to do that,” Kelly told Vanity Fair.

Young Republicans most influenced by Israel skepticism

As the “America First” agenda emerges as a driving force in the conservative movement, younger generations have grown more skeptical of the United States involvement with Israel.

A poll by from the Institute for Middle East Understanding Policy Project and YouGov revealed that 23% of Republicans between the age of 18 to 44 believe that the United States should increase support for Israel. Meanwhile, 31% of Republicans over the age of 45 believe in increasing support. A more dramatic divide exists between the two age groups’ perceptions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.The poll revealed that Republicans over the age of 45 posses a 40 point net favorability rating of him; whereas Republicans under 45 possess a net two point approval of him.

Brent Buchanan, president and founder of Cygnal, shared with Newsweek that younger generations of Republicans are more “America First minded” rather than focused on the ideological divides of liberal vs. conservative that older generations were and are more fixated on.

“Younger conservatives are especially concerned with how much the U.S. gives to Israel to fund a war that they fear they’ll be sucked up into boots-on-the-ground,” Buchanan said.

Vice President J.D. Vance weighed in on an article centered around the “generational divide” about antisemitism, distinguishing that there’s a difference between anti-semitism and not liking Israel.

“Actually White conservative zoomers don’t really like Israel anymore either, JD,” an X user wrote under Vance’s post.

Vance responded with, “I would say there’s a difference between not liking Israel (or disagreeing with a given Israeli policy) and anti-semitism.”

Carlson’s son Buckley Carlson works for Vance and at one point, the vice president defended Buckley when a journalist outright asked on X if he was an antisemite like his father.

“Sloan Rachmuth is a “journalist” who has decided to obsessively attack a staffer in his 20s because she doesn’t like the views of his father,” Vance wrote on X. “Every time I see a public attack on Buckley it’s a complete lie. And yes, I notice ever[y] person with an agenda who unfairly attacks a good guy who does a great job for me.”