Before coming to Budapest just over a month ago, Dave Rubin, the famous US conservative political commentator and host of The Rubin Report, had a 9-day trip in Israel. While there, he conducted an interview for The Rubin Report with Yoram Hazony, an Israeli philosopher and President of the Herzl Institute.
The discussion focused on what the United States could learn from Israel. Hazony explained that despite the divisions in Israeli society, all citizens share a religious inheritance that centres around the biblical promise which, after 2000 years, Israel is fulfilling: ‘Even if they’re at the fartherest corner of the earth, God will bring them back to the Promise Land.’ He emphasised that the Israeli people are committed to defending and caring for their homeland thanks to this religious heritage. Hazony highlighted that this sense of purpose is what children grow up with, which shapes their identity, gives them strength, a sense of belonging,
and makes them morally more resilient.
To illustrate the extent of their dedication to protecting their country, Hazony noted that during serious military conflicts, the Israeli army receives a flood of volunteers who had previously served in the IDF.
The Israeli philosopher pointed out that until the Second World War, the US was a Christian nation by law; however, following the war, Americans became tired of this religious inheritance, so they turned to liberalism, which quickly transformed into neo-Marxism. He highlighted that this undermines the importance of being mindful of one’s beliefs, which is concerning as schools attempt to ban Bibles and prayers, leading to children being brainwashed in schools to think that their religious, political, and constitutional inheritance is not important. Hazony suggested that it may not be possible to change the mindset of the entire American population, but significant change can be brought about in states with a Christian, Jewish, or conservative majority.
It can be achieved by focusing on creating a public culture that is similar to that of Israel or Hungary, where the government, leading figures, the educational system, and the public would be more focused on living within the Biblical framework, building a better future, having children, teaching religion as a cultural inheritance, and serving in the military. To give an example, Hazony highlighted that these states should be focused on a mission of, for instance,
‘turning Florida into Hungary ,
as the Hungarian government and people look at Israel and are recreating a sense of this mission which is Israeli-like.’ To the question of whether these conservative states with a Christian majority would oppress minorities, Hazony stated that, according to his experiences with American Christians, it would be a groundless fear as they wouldn’t be concentrating on making a homogeneous Christian state, rather on solving problems together and creating a country where their children can grow up Christian.
‘Hungary and Israel Inspire Conservatives in the US’
During his visit to Hungary in 2021, Hazony gave an interview to news website Index where he explained that the reason why liberalism quickly turned into neo-Marxism in the US is due to the ongoing cultural revolution that originated in the universities, and which is spreading to other countries through the media. He pointed out that in this cultural revolution, the neo-Marxists won, and most liberals either sided with them or gave up their position because they didn’t know what else to do. To the question of whether liberals and conservatives can ally, the Israeli philosopher answered that it raises the question of what those who believe in Christian democracy can do for those liberals who are unhappy that Marxism is ruling their country and everything is turning bad around them. Hazony also asked the rhetorical questions of whether it is possible to make room for minorities, homosexuals or Jews in a society with a majority Christian culture. He highlighted that conservatives could be successful at creating a Christian culture where there is room for minorities, and noted that ‘from this point of view, Hungary is considered an experimental field,
since Hungary is a national, conservative government that sees Christianity as the dominant culture, but also significantly supports the Jewish community.’
During his 2021 visit to Hungary, Hazony also gave a presentation, invited by Mathias Corvinus Collegium, as a speaker at the Budapest Lectures series, where he noted that due to the troubling trends in the US, ‘we’re in this odd situation in which a small country like Hungary or Israel can be inspiring to many conservatives in America, so they would like to learn from them.’
‘The US as a Nation is Lost’
In his speech at the Danube Institute’s event in Budapest in May, Dave Rubin explained that the reason why he toured Israel and Hungary was the very reason Hazony noted in his speech during his MCC lecture in 2021: to examine what the US can learn from these two countries as ‘the US as a nation is lost’. Rubin pointed out that what the US can learn from Israel is
its citizens’ shared purpose in constantly defending and building their country and future.
The American political commentator also lauded Hungary and its Child Protection Act and contrasted it with California, a state that is trying to establish itself as a ‘sanctuary’ for underaged trans children.
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