by Steven Windmueller in The Times of Israel

We are on the cusp of a new age of Jewish political behavior. If the second half of the 20^th Century and the first quarter of this century were dominated by Jewish liberal politics, then this moment will be driven by the emergence of Jewish conservatives, bringing with them a new set of political norms, policies, and priorities.

Donald Trump’s second iteration as US President will further usher in a new wave of conservative Jewish political thought. This moment is being driven by the arrival of a cadre of Trump Jewish appointees, scheduled to take office within the next few weeks and by the support of Jewish conservative policy centers, thought leaders, and activists.

Beginning in the 19th century and coinciding with the expansion of the political rights accorded to individuals in European society, Jews would affiliate with and contribute their ideas to a wide range of political movements and philosophies. Conservative Jewish thought has particularly deep roots within Western political culture. Among those contributing to the evolution of conservative political thought were Isaiah Berlin, Benjamin Disraeli, Horace Gunzburg, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, and Leo Strauss.

Writing in a 2017 Commentary article, Eric Cohen offered a conservative Jewish manifesto, framing Jewish ideas in connection with traditional values, foreign policy priorities, and economic liberalism.

The emergence of various contemporary writers has helped to shape a body of Jewish political thought that align Jewish values and interests with American culture, policies, and principles. Among the contributors to this conversation include Dr. Yuval Levin, “The Hebraic Road to American Renewal” as he identifies Jewish religious ideas and experiences with America’s efforts to collectively reinvigorate its educational, cultural, and social institutions. Among the contemporary ideological spokespersons for conservative Jewish thought include Elliot Abrams, Eric Cohen, Ben Shapiro, Dennis Prager, Jonathan Silver, Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, and Ruth Wisse.

A robust set of ideas help to frame the conservative Jewish agenda. These involve both generic policy positions on education, immigration, and limited government, but more directly, Jewish considerations involving US support for Israel and in managing the fight against antisemitism. Today, one can also identify a growing alignment between American Jewish conservative thought and Israel’s national religious Zionist movement.

Employing educational forums, policy conferences and the promotion of various publications, a body of conservative Jewish political thought has evolved. Through a robust infrastructure of organizations, these ideas are being disseminated:

• Tablet Magazine
• Jewish Policy Center
• Tikvah Fund and its Mosaic Magazine
• Commentary Magazine

Aligned with these ideological and policy centers are a number of political advocacy structures that embrace and act upon specific aspects of the Jewish conservative agenda. A few such groups are referenced here:

• The OU’s Advocacy Center
• Coalition for Jewish Values
• Young Jewish Conservatives

This growing enterprise of conservative and Republican Jewish engagement is being abetted and strengthen by a cadre of Jewish publications, commentators, and journalists.

No doubt, the Jewish political engine, essential for supporting the Republican Party, its candidates and policy issues, involves the work of the Republican Jewish Coalition. The RJC’s creative and effective organizing strategies in connection with the 2024 election resulted in impacting the Jewish vote in key battleground states.

President Trump’s share of the Jewish vote rose to 32% in 2024, according to the AP/Fox News Voter Analysis Exit Poll, the highest number for a Republican presidential candidate since George H.W. Bush in 1988.

There are other elements contributing to a rightward shift among certain Jewish American voters. The emergence of national conservative politics taking place among a number of democracies is seen as a contributing factor to what is also happening within the United States. The acceleration of anti-Zionist actions and antisemitic behaviors have generated specific Jewish concerns, creating their own political reactions. More generic issues, including the economy, crime, immigration, US foreign policy and national security, are all seen as triggers possibly driving voter choices

As I have identified elsewhere, the Jewish Republican influence involves these six principles:

1. A Jewish conservative historical record as part of this nation’s political story.
2. The presence of a well-organized Jewish Republican infrastructure.
3. The financial clout of Jewish Republican activists.
4. A growing constituency comprised of a cross-section of Jewish voters.
5. A significant and influential body of Jewish political thinkers, spokespersons, and writers.
6. The emergence of Jewish Republican candidates for public office.

As a result of the growing connections between conservative Jewish groups and the incoming administration, we are likely to see during the second Trump Presidency the following political outcomes:

• A heightened level of public support for Israel, and a corresponding increase in efforts to isolate anti-Israel actors and organizations within the United States and a concerted effort to target American-based “radical” Islamic institutions and leaders.
• A more aggressive governmental response to antisemitic behaviors, especially in connection with universities, social media, and other public avenues of possible anti-Jewish expression.
• Federal support for religious-based educational programs and services, as the Trump Administration will seek to undo the wall of separation between church and state.

Aligned with the growth of Jewish Republican electoral support and the growing strength of Orthodox Judaism in America, we can expect the continued expansion of this sector’s impact on political ideas and policy, communal influence, and electoral power.