At a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi on October 29, Vice President J.D. Vance faced a student wearing a MAGA hat who challenged him directly: “I’m a Christian, and I’m just confused why there’s this notion that we might owe Israel something, or that they’re our greatest ally, or that we have to support this multi-hundred-billion dollar foreign aid package to Israel, to cover this, to quote Charlie Kirk, ‘ethnic cleansing in Gaza.'”
The student continued: “Not only does their religion not agree with ours, but also openly supports the prosecution of ours.”
It was the second hostile Israel question of the night. An earlier questioner had asked whether it was “a conflict of interest for Miriam Adelson, an Israeli donor, to give millions of dollars to his campaign, and then Trump have pro-Israeli policies?”
Vance responded in an America-first framing, praising Trump for being “willing to apply leverage to the state of Israel” to secure the recent ceasefire deal. That leverage, Vance said, proved Trump was acting in America’s interests, not Israel’s. He then added: “So when people say that Israel is somehow manipulating or controlling the president of the United States, they’re not manipulating or controlling this president of the United States.”
The Vice President never corrected the student’s lies—not the claim of “ethnic cleansing” in Gaza, not the assertion that Judaism “openly supports the prosecution” of Christianity. Instead, he suggested that past presidents may have been controlled by Israel, echoing one of history’s most poisonous conspiracy theories: that Jews secretly manipulate governments for their own gain.
This wasn’t an isolated moment. Vance regularly appears publicly with Tucker Carlson, even as Tucker mainstreams neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes and descends deeper into open antisemitism.
The MAGA movement is splitting into three groups. On one side stand Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, and others going further down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories and hatred, now indistinguishable from the neo-Nazis they once condemned. On the other side stand those pushing back against this darkness—Dinesh D’Souza, James Lindsay, Brandon Tatum, Ted Cruz—refusing to compromise their principles even when it costs them influence and audience.
And then there’s the squishy middle. People like Matt Walsh, Megyn Kelly, Kevin Roberts of the Heritage Foundation. And Vice President Vance himself. Not antisemites themselves, but unwilling to publicly separate from the antisemites in their midst. They want their feet in both camps, support from all sides. Vance knows that younger voters are increasingly turning against Israel, and he’s positioning himself for a 2028 presidential run.
Can Vice President Vance walk this tightrope? Will he be able to hold the middle?
The Bible tells us almost nothing about Abraham’s early years; his story begins in Genesis 12 when he is already 75 years old. The Sages give us the backstory, the ancient Jewish tradition of what happened before God commanded Abraham to leave for the Holy Land.
Abraham had two brothers, Nahor and Haran. The Sages teach that they lived under the tyrant Nimrod’s rule. Nimrod had enslaved the nations and demanded worship of fire—the symbol of human intellect and power dominating over nature and nature’s God.
The nations gathered around Abraham and asked him directly: “Whose side are you on?” Abraham answered without hesitation. “I will never abandon the Holy One, blessed be He, who is in heaven!”
They seized him immediately and threw him into the fiery furnace. No angel descended with him, no seraph, no celestial being—only the Holy One Himself. Abraham emerged unscathed.
The rabbis understood “Ur” to mean both the place name and the Hebrew word for fire.
What about Nahor, Abraham’s other brother? The Bible never mentions Nimrod threatening him. The rabbis understood why: Nahor was likely a Nimrod supporter. He aligned himself with the evil of his time. He remained safe, unthreatened, immersed in the idolatry of his generation.
But Haran—the third brother—faced a different test. The nations gathered around Haran and asked him: “Whose side are you on?”
Why Haran specifically? Nahor’s loyalty was clear. Abraham’s loyalty was clear. But Haran’s ambiguity made him the focal point. When your allegiance is uncertain, everyone wants to know which way you’ll break.
Haran was conflicted. The Midrash records his inner calculation: “Abraham is greater than me. If I see that he escapes, I’ll say I’m with Abraham; if not, I’ll say I’m with them.”
He watched. He waited. He saw Abraham emerge from the furnace alive. Haran declared: “I’m with Abraham!”
Immediately, they seized him and threw him into the furnace. But before Haran could even descend into the flames, the fire consumed him. “And Haran died in the presence of Terah his father” (Genesis 11:28).
What was Haran’s fatal mistake? He chose Abraham’s side, the side of God. He declared himself opposed to Nimrod’s tyranny, aligned with faith rather than idolatry. Why did he die?
Because his support for Abraham wasn’t genuine. Haran didn’t act from conviction or moral courage. He acted from political calculus. He waited to see who would win before declaring his allegiance. His choice was opportunistic, not principled. And so, when the moment of testing came, his calculated support meant nothing. The fire consumed him.
Haran’s divided heart revealed itself in his children. The Bible records that he had two daughters, Milkah and Yiskah (Genesis 11:29). Yiskah, who was Sarah according to Rashi, went with Abraham toward holiness. Milkah went with Nahor toward idolatry. His son Lot had the capacity for greatness—he became the ancestor of Ruth and ultimately King David—yet repeatedly fell into sin, drawn toward Sodom even as he knew better. Haran’s children scattered in opposite directions because their father lacked the moral courage to clearly choose good over evil.
Today’s conservative movement faces the same three-way split.
The Abrahams stand uncompromisingly against evil. Ben Shapiro used his massive platform to call Tucker Carlson an “intellectual coward” and an “ideological launderer,” someone who softens “hideous ideas” and gives them wider audiences. That episode drew over 36 million views—and real personal risk. Dinesh D’Souza, James Lindsay, Brandon Tatum, Ted Cruz—these are people willing to lose influence, audience, and relationships to maintain moral clarity. They call out antisemitism even when it comes from their own side.
The Nahors have made their choice. They’ve aligned themselves with darkness, mainstreaming conspiracy theories and hatred for clicks and influence. They’re safe in their choice, comfortable in their audience.
But the Harans—the squishy middle—think they can straddle both worlds. They appear with the Nahors, refuse to condemn them, maintain relationships with those spreading poison. They tell themselves they’re being strategic, building bridges, keeping dialogue open. They’re waiting to see which faction wins before fully committing.
There is certainly room for thoughtful criticism of Israel, as there should be for any nation. Faithful allies can debate policies without abandoning principle. But moral clarity means rejecting lies and conspiracies outright. Abraham himself questioned God, but he did so from faith, not cynicism. The “middle” that excuses antisemitism in the name of either tribalism or free speech isn’t courage—it’s confusion.
Vice President Vance, people across America and throughout the world are watching you, waiting to see where you stand. They’re asking whose side you’re on. A student at Ole Miss asked a disgustingly bigoted question, trafficking in antisemitic lies, and you failed to rebuke him. You treated it as legitimate, as if accusing Jews of ethnic cleansing and claiming Judaism persecutes Christianity were normal, acceptable things to say. You appear with Tucker Carlson as he descends into open antisemitism. You refuse to correct lies about Israel and Judaism. You think you can maintain relationships on both sides, wait to see how this shakes out.
Haran thought the same thing. He calculated. He waited. When he finally chose, it was too late.
Can you walk the tightrope, Vice President Vance? Can you hold the middle?
No. You cannot.
The test facing American conservatives is the same test Haran faced. Abraham represents Israel, those fighting for God against evil. Some will join completely with holiness and the people of Israel. Some will drift toward accommodation with evil and the enemies of the Jewish people. Others will vacillate, capable of greatness but repeatedly drawn toward darkness.
The furnace is already lit. Antisemitism is rising, and every one of us must make a choice. Whose side are you on?
There is no middle ground. Haran discovered this too late. The choice is before you: Stand with Abraham—uncompromisingly, without calculation—or stand with those who traffic in hatred and lies.
