In the dimly lit corridors of Capitol Hill, where backroom deals shape American foreign policy, House Speaker Mike Johnson recently conducted what can only be described as a strategic war council. On the afternoon of September 17, 2025, Johnson gathered with a who’s who of pro-Israel organizations for a private meeting ostensively designed to eliminate dissenting voices within the Republican Party. What emerged from this closed-door session reveals a coordinated effort to ensure ideological orthodoxy on Israel.

The meeting itself reads like something out of a tired political thriller. Johnson, who described himself to the assembled group as a “Reagan Republican” focused on “peace through strength,” went on to make a startling admission that isolationism is rising within the Republican Party and that a major debate on the issue is likely once President Donald Trump leaves office.

But Johnson’s most revealing statement came when he told the group that in his candidate-recruiting efforts, he’s working to filter out isolationists to prevent that wing of the party from growing more prominent in the House. Four people who attended the meeting confirmed this extraordinary pledge to Jewish Insider.

“The speaker was very, very direct about the U.S. role with Israel and in the world and understands that there are voices that don’t agree in both parties, on both extremes, and urges us all to be involved in fighting back against those extremes,” Eric Fingerhut, CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, told the publication.

The guest list for Johnson’s gathering was a who’s who of America’s most powerful pro-Israel organizations. In attendance were representatives from The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, the Republican Jewish Coalition, Agudath Israel of America, AIPAC, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, National Council of Jewish Women, Synergos Holdings, CUFI Action, the Orthodox Union, the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Standard Industries, the American Jewish Committee, Zionist Organization of America, National Debt Relief, Jewish Institute for National Security of America, the Deborah Project, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Coalition for Jewish Values and the Endowment for Middle East Truth. This comprehensive coalition represents the full spectrum of pro-Israel advocacy, from religious organizations to political action committees to think tanks—a formidable alliance with vast resources and influence.

The Hunt for Republican Heretics

The Israeli lobby’s crosshairs have settled on several prominent Republicans whose independence on foreign policy has made them targets. Chief among them is Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), whose voting record has made him perhaps the strongest opponent of Israel in Congress according to Jewish advocacy groups.

Massie’s legislative actions against pro-Israel interests are extensive and well-documented. In December 2023, at the height of Israel’s war against Hamas, Massie shared a social media post implying that Congress was more interested in “Zionism” than “American patriotism.” In October 2023, following the Hamas attack, Massie was the only Republican to vote against a bipartisan resolution standing with Israel. He was also the sole Republican to vote against the Iron Dome Supplemental Appropriations Act and the only member of either party to vote against a resolution honoring Jewish American heritage and denouncing antisemitism.

“Antisemitism is deplorable, but expanding it to include criticism of Israel is not helpful,” Massie wrote on X, explaining his vote against a resolution reaffirming Israel’s right to exist. Even more provocatively, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has emerged as an unexpected critic from the MAGA wing. In a dramatic departure from her previous pro-Israel stance, Greene has characterized Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide.”

Her transformation has prompted a furious response from AIPAC, which issued a fundraising message comparing her to progressive Democrats Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar:

Let’s call this what it is: Marjorie Taylor Greene is the newest member of the anti-Israel Squad. She may think this earns her praise from the far-left or online radicals — but we see it for what it is: a betrayal of American values and a dangerous distortion of the truth.

In response to AIPAC’s attack against her, Greene has doubled down, telling One America News Network that AIPAC should register as a foreign lobbyist and posting a photograph of a sign on her office door reading “no foreign lobbying.” She has accused Israel of having “incredible influence and control” over nearly every member of Congress, exposing pro-Israel lobby trips that she argues amount to foreign lobbying without accountability.

Perhaps nowhere is the Israeli lobby’s intervention more telling than in Texas’s 23rd Congressional District, where gun rights YouTuber Brandon Herrera mounted a formidable challenge against moderate Republican incumbent Tony Gonzales last election cycle. Herrera, known as “the AK Guy” to his 4.4 million YouTube subscribers, came within 354 votes of unseating Gonzales in the 2024 primary runoff.

Gonzales, a 20-year Navy veteran and cryptologist who rose to the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer, built his political résumé through Washington’s national security circles. He served as a legislative fellow in Senator Marco Rubio’s office and was a National Security Fellow at the pro-Israel Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a neoconservative think tank known for its hawkish foreign policy stance. In Congress, Gonzales has reflected that worldview by backing aid to Ukraine and Israel, stating that “if we fail to support our allies, China, Russia, and Iran will only become more powerful” with regard to a military aid spending package pending final passage in the U.S. House in April 2024.

The closeness of this race terrified pro-Israel groups, who saw Herrera as a genuine threat to their influence. AIPAC’s United Democracy Project spent $1 million opposing Herrera in a two-week ad buy, while the Republican Jewish Coalition added $400,000 in attack ads.

More significantly for the lobby’s concerns, Herrera had stated he would have voted against supplemental aid to Israel and other U.S. allies. “I would absolutely vote AGAINST the new proposed spending package for $95+ billion for foreign conflicts, while spending $0 on our southern border,” Herrera posted on X on April 19, 2024. “Any Republican who claims to be America first CANNOT vote for America last legislation.”

When asked directly whether he would pledge to end foreign aid, including to Israel, Herrera reiterated his position: “We can’t claim to be ‘America First’ while pushing spending bills like the most recent foreign aid package that gave almost $100 billion to every country except the US.”

The combined $1.4–1.5 million in spending by AIPAC and RJC helped Gonzales narrowly survive with 50.6% to 49.4%—a margin so slim it demonstrated the growing threat posed by America First candidates to the establishment’s foreign policy consensus. Herrera has already announced his intention to challenge Gonzales again in the 2026 Republican primaries, setting up another expensive battle. This time, the political winds may finally shift in Herrera’s favor.

The most audacious display of the Israeli lobby’s power may be their campaign against Thomas Massie. Pro-Israel Republican megadonors have established the MAGA Kentucky super PAC with $2 million specifically to oust the congressman. Paul Singer contributed $1 million, John Paulson added $250,000, and Miriam Adelson’s Preserve America PAC provided $750,000.

This goes far beyond normal political opposition; it’s a declaration of total war against foreign policy dissent among Republican ranks. AIPAC has already demonstrated this approach works. During the 2024 election cycle, AIPAC’s independent spending arm, the United Democracy Project, spent over $300,000 on Fox affiliate ads criticizing Massie’s voting record. UDP spokesperson Patrick Dorton did not mince words about UDP’s attacks against Massie: “We are not playing in the primary, but we are trying to shine a light on the radical anti-Israel record of Tom Massie. We want every single voter in the state of Kentucky to know about his anti-Israel actions.”

The Post-October 7 Reality

The October 7 Hamas attacks fundamentally transformed the Israeli lobby’s strategy and urgency. AIPAC increased its political spending nearly threefold in the months following the attacks, with average weekly spending jumping from $275,000 to over $740,000.

“Our focus in the 2024 election is to broaden and strengthen the bipartisan pro-Israel majority in Congress — and to defeat anti-Israel detractors,” AIPAC spokesman Marshall Wittmann told Capital News Service. “In the aftermath of the Hamas barbaric attack and the mounting threats of Iranian terrorist proxies, the importance of a pro-Israel Congress standing with our ally is clearer than ever.”

This represents more than increased spending; it’s a systematic campaign to ensure ideological conformity. The Israeli lobby’s post-October 7 mobilization has created what one Democratic donor adviser called “a huge, underappreciated change to the landscape.” Thousands of smaller donors who weren’t previously engaged have been activated, providing the financial foundation for an unprecedented intervention in American electoral politics.

Johnson’s pledge to “filter out isolationists” in candidate recruitment represents the institutionalization of ideological screening within the Republican Party leadership. This transcends opposing candidates in primaries and is mostly focused on preventing them from running in the first place by controlling access to party resources, endorsements, and financial networks.

The vetting process appears comprehensive. As the Jewish Insider report noted, Johnson is working to prevent the isolationist wing from “growing larger in the House” through his recruiting efforts. This suggests a systematic review of potential candidates’ positions on Israel and foreign aid, with those deemed insufficiently supportive being denied party backing.

This represents a fundamental shift in how American political parties operate. Rather than allowing primary voters to choose between competing visions, party leadership, at the behest of the Israel lobby, is pre-selecting candidates based on their adherence to specific foreign policy positions. The Israeli lobby has essentially outsourced candidate vetting to organizations whose primary loyalty is to world Jewry.

The Israeli lobby’s campaign to purge non-interventionist candidates and incumbents is part of a comprehensive campaign to eliminate legitimate foreign policy debate within the Republican Party. The success of this strategy in cases like the Gonzales-Herrera race demonstrates its effectiveness in the short-term. By deploying overwhelming financial resources against grassroots candidates, the lobby can overcome significant popular support for America First policies. Herrera’s near victory despite being outspent by millions shows the genuine appeal of his message and precisely why American Jewry views such candidates as existential threats.

The implications extend far beyond individual races. If successful, this campaign will fundamentally re-shape the Republican Party by eliminating voices that prioritize American interests over foreign commitments. With “unlimited” resources pledged against figures like Massie and systematic vetting of new candidates, Israeli interests are working to ensure that future Republican leaders never can question America’s relationship with Israel.

This endeavor may not be a walk in the park for organized Jewry, however. New trends point to younger voters souring on Israel. A University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll conducted between July 29 and August 7 showcased a dramatic generational divide within the Republican Party. While 52 percent of Republicans aged 35 and older sympathize more with Israel, that figure drops to just 24 percent among those aged 18 to 34.

The split grows even wider when it comes to Gaza. Among older Republicans, 52 percent view Israel’s actions as justified. Among younger ones, only 22 percent agree. “The change taking place among young Republicans is breathtaking,” said Shibley Telhami, the poll’s principal investigator. “While 52 percent of older Republicans (35+) sympathize more with Israel, only 24 percent of younger Republicans (18–34) say the same—fewer than half.”

This generational realignment accelerated after Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023. Pew Research Center data show that unfavorable views of Israel among Republicans under 50 climbed from 35 percent in 2022 to 50 percent in 2025 — a striking 15-point jump. In contrast, Republicans over 50 shifted only slightly, from 19 percent to 23 percent.

Even evangelical Republicans, once Israel’s most reliable allies, are showing signs of fatigue. Among older evangelicals, 69 percent express sympathy for Israel, compared to only 32 percent among younger ones. Just 36 percent of younger evangelical Republicans consider Israel’s actions in Gaza justified.

In a broader rebuke of bipartisan orthodoxy, a September 2025 AtlasIntel poll found that only 30 percent of Americans support continued financial aid to Israel, underscoring how Washington’s “blank check” is increasingly out of step with public opinion. An increasing share of Republicans now argue that U.S. policy serves Israeli interests more than America’s.

The question now is whether the Republican Party belongs to its voters or to Tel Aviv. The battle lines are drawn, and the outcome will reveal who truly holds power in Washington.