Gfyuki

In my understanding, generally, right-wing politicians are hard on immigration and foreign people in general. This typically goes well with anti-semitism, too. (See Nazis / Neo-Nazis). Heck, at least in the US, this also goes along with evangelical beliefs seemingly.

But, how is it, that generally, in the US, right-wing politicians are pro Israel, at least traditionally?

Note: President Trump may have brought somewhat of a twist here, but I am talking not about persons here, but the right wing in general. This might exclude some ultra-right wing. Feel free to address this in your answer. (I put the alt-right tag as well as the republican one, but you do not need to stick on either of it exclusively)

Note also: I am coming from a central european background, so my understanding of US politics may affected by this.

1. 
   

   Americans on the Right tend to be Evangelical Christians. As Jerusalem is holy to Christians (as well as being central to several Christian prophecies), there is a decently broad base of Christians who support Israel. This is evidenced by the demographic that tends to tour Israel

   
   
   

   
   

   At the moment, with security worries since the last Gaza war eased, the industry is booming. A record breaking 3.6 million people visited Israel in 2017, up 25 per cent from 2016 and the first time the number of visitors has ever exceeded the three million mark, according to tourism minister Yariv Levin.

   
   
   

   Of those tourists, almost 800,000 were American, and a growing proportion of those are evangelical Christians. The year before last, the most recent for which figures are available, put the figure at 13 per cent.

   
   

   
   


2. 
   

   While the US military is broad in its political views, the Right tends to view self defense as important. Thus many Right military members support Israel's right to defend itself

   
   
   

   
   

   Yet while Israel is hardly perfect, its response to the Great Return March is necessary and prudent. Under no circumstances can it allow Hamas to breach its border fence. Nor can it hold its foreign policy (including the location of foreign embassies) hostage to threats of Palestinian terror or Palestinian riots. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, and it will be the capital of Israel in any peace settlement. The only way Jerusalem will not be the Israeli capital is that Israel ceases to exist.

   
   

   
   

What's probably confusing about this is that once you move out of a more centrist Right, and into the Alt Right or Far Right, religious views tends to diminish, and thus anti-Semitism can grow there (remember, Jesus Christ was a Jew). It's in these areas you find such fringes as Neo Nazis, skinheads and other hate groups.

Political support for Israel is bi-partisan and has been for decades. There's very little daylight between Democrats and Republicans regarding Israel. There are many reasons for bi-partisan support for Israel, Ilhan Omar clumsily spoke about recently, but primarily it is due to direct and indirect financial support for people that support AIPAC's platform, or financial support and/or grooming for political opponents of politicians who do not sufficiently support AIPAC's platform.

Members of AIPAC have been pretty open about their influence and power on many occasions.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/07/04/real-insiders

https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=bQHXJ4JzxV4C&pg=PT221&lpg=PT221&dq=charles+percy+%E2%80%9Cincurred+AIPAC%E2%80%9Ds+wrath%E2%80%9D&source=bl&ots=AQdojkdymF&sig=ACfU3U1ujV7Qc71h47rg043bBjqygcJ0zA&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=charles%20percy%20%E2%80%9Cincurred%20AIPAC%E2%80%9Ds%20wrath%E2%80%9D&f=false
https://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n06/john-mearsheimer/the-israel-lobby

https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/14/opinion/friedman-newt-mitt-bibi-and-vladimir.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2002-04-16-0204160300-story.html

https://www.thenation.com/article/ady-barkan-aipac-ilhan-omar/

As Machavity pointed out, the Republican party is basically the party of white identity politics, Christian Evangelical fundamentalists, and private concentrated wealth. The Christian evangelical element loves Israel because they believe it is key in their end times prophecy. White identity politics constituents like Israel's unapologetic stance regarding Muslims, private concentrated wealth, particularly in defense contractors and petro chemical companies also benefit from America's current middle east foreign policy, so its no surprise that support for Israel is rising among Republicans.

The question about Democratic support for Israel is a bit more complicated than the Republicans. Bi partisan support is eroding, and the parties younger, more progressive base is less supportive of Israel than its older, more hawkish members. The party has traditionally enjoyed wide support from America's Jewish demographic, which has traditionally been more socially liberal and progressive regarding gay rights, racial equality and other liberal issues. It has also had strong cultural ties with Israel and seemingly has trouble reconciling its own liberal, progressive values, with an Israeli state that is becoming increasingly far right, and allied with the Republicans. Its party leaders have undoubtedly sought the financial support of the Israel lobby, Haim Saban "I'm a one issue guy, and that issue is Israel" was one of the Clinton's biggest donors. So as Omar so crudely put it, it really does seems to be about the Benjamins.