The Work of Supporting Israel

A close look at some not-so-strange bedfellows

The work of Israel

The trend towards pro-Israel sentiment within the dissident right or “based/alt-right” community is fascinating, particularly when you consider the movement's past associations, at least rhetorically or in the form of high-level trolling, with anti-Semitism. The shift doesn't necessarily signal a broadening of moral horizons or even a recalibration of ideological alignments, but it is an interesting example of “sheepdogging” along the lines of what establishment left-leaning figures like Bernie Sanders accomplished over the previous two election cycles.¹

The Concept of "Regime"

This transformation can be understood by dissecting what the based community refers to as a "regime." For many who use this term,² it refers to an all-encompassing expression for the structures that govern public life, particularly those that they view as ideologically opposed to their vision. On one hand, their use of the term echoes its more academic applications: systems of governance and their corresponding cultural frameworks. On the other, it adds a layer of skepticism, a “sus vibe” that the people who run the “regime” are agents of a brave new sociopolitical order that is perpetually against them.³