Now, with a new administration, the woke critics come also from the right. This is a dangerous group and in recent months they’ve been working overtime. They lobbied Trump heavily to prevent the strike on Iran, warning the American public of apocalyptic consequences and “thousands of American casualties.” But judging by last night’s underwhelming Iranian response, their doomsday scenario never materialized—it was more of a box-checking exercise by Tehran.
One of the loudest voices among the right-wing woke camp is Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene—not exactly the sharpest tool in the Republican shed. She opposed the Iran strike before it happened and hasn’t stopped criticizing it: “I don’t know anyone in America who has been the victim of a crime or killed by Iran,” she wrote. She’s clueless. Iran has been involved in the deaths of countless Americans.
Greene went on: “Neocon warmongers beat their drums of war and act like Billy badasses.” That could’ve been taken straight from the far-left playbook. But it’s coming from the far right. And while far-left and far-right woke activists share little in common, they’re united on one front: opposition to supporting Israel—usually rooted in deep-seated hostility toward the Jewish state.
Anyone who thinks this is a fringe group within the Republican Party should think again. Last year, Greene backed a Democratic initiative to halt arms shipments to Israel. She wasn’t alone: 21 Republicans joined her, compared to 37 Democrats. The influence gap between progressives in the Democratic Party and isolationists in the GOP is smaller than it seems.
One common thread among many right-wing woke members: they oppose aid to Ukraine and express varying degrees of support for Russian President Vladimir Putin. That includes Tulsi Gabbard, the most senior figure in this group and the current director of national intelligence.
Ben-Dror YeminiPhoto: Avigail UziThis wasn’t just Bernie Sanders, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. They pulled more and more members of Congress with them. Israel shares the blame too, not only for being blind to the threat but for making countless mistakes since the war with Hamas began.
Now it’s the right-wing wokeists’ turn. When they say “America First,” they also mean “Israel Last.” They’re just as dangerous—perhaps more so, because in many cases, their antisemitism is not even hidden.
There’s no room for complacency just because they failed this time on Iran. They’re growing—and they’re dangerous. And we certainly shouldn’t be helping them with boastful claims about “influencing Trump.” We already made that mistake with left-wing wokeism. We shouldn’t repeat it with the right.
