In fact, Ben Shapiro is not only a central figure in the Conservative Cinematic Universe, but the poster child of New Zionism. He combines the willful blindness of Sam Harris and the identitarian hypocrisy of Bari Weiss that we have discussed previously, but goes even further.

If you are not familiar with Ben Shapiro, he is the product of a wound of rejection. He emerged on the political scene after being passed over for a comedy career in Hollywood, a rejection he attributes to his conservative political orientation. Shapiro then made a name for himself by debating with the speed of an auctioneer and landing blows with his signature catchphrase "Facts don't care about your feelings," a selective slogan he can't seem to live up to when it comes to his dedication to Israel.

Shapiro went on to establish The Daily Wire, which became a truly massive outlet that overtook many legacy media institutions and even began producing original movies and children's programing in addition to political media. The outlet's rise was truly meteoric and its decline similar. He occupies a peculiar throne, having successfully fused the often-disparate forces of Orthodox Jewish religious identity, mainstream American conservatism, hawkish pro-Israel politics, and internet-native debate bro culture. Using this persona, Shapiro normalized emotionally charged pro-Israel advocacy inside mainstream conservative media while presenting it as rationalism.

To be specific Ben's Israel advocacy is three pronged:

He moralizes issues concerning Israel as part of a broader civilizational struggle, and at times his politics become driven by theocratic concerns rather than strategic. Shapiro says, "Obviously, being religious has a tremendous impact on how I view Israel."

He presents himself as the arbiter of Jewish identity and presents allegiance to Israel as a political litmus test being intrinsic to that identity, thus separating good Jews from bad Jews and good people from anti-semites, further exacerbating anti-semitism.

He consistently frames Israel as a proxy battle in a broader culture war.

You will notice that each of these prongs pedestalizes a foreign country and relies more on emotional appeal (feelings) rather than a sober assessment of what is in the foreign policy interest of the United States (facts).

Shapiro is constantly labeling Israel the epitome and protector of the West:

"Israel is an unbelievable example of how Western civilization and liberal values can thrive in the most violent neighborhood on planet earth."

While in Jerusalem in November 2024, Shapiro referenced the war in Gaza, remarking, "Thank you on behalf of Western civilization for fighting the fight the rest of the West should be fighting." Two days before, the United Nations warned that conditions in northern Gaza had deteriorated to a point "unfit for human survival" with shelters, homes, and schools being bombed to the ground and humanitarian assistance largely blocked by Israel.