Is unconditional support for Israel becoming a liability for Republicans?

The sweeping Republican defeat in the November 3 midterm elections may have opened a debate that, until recently, would have been almost unthinkable within the party: whether the United States should fundamentally reconsider its relationship with Israel. For decades, unwavering support for Israel was a defining feature of Republican identity, sustained by evangelical Christians, the conservative foreign policy establishment, influential lobbying organisations, and a deeply entrenched congressional consensus.

Now, following the electorate’s repudiation of Donald Trump and his administration, that consensus is showing unmistakable signs of strain. The clearest indication came from Vice President JD Vance, who acknowledged in an unusually candid post-election assessment that dissatisfaction with America’s relationship with Israel was among the reasons Republican voters abandoned their party.