BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 22. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is facing accusations that it is using anti-Muslim sentiment and fears surrounding Islam to strengthen political ties with right-wing movements in the United States and other Western countries.
The issue has gained renewed attention following the creation of the “Sharia-Free America Caucus” in the US Congress, whose members have framed their initiative as an effort to oppose the influence of Islamic law in American society.
One of the caucus’s founding members has publicly described Islam in highly negative terms, portraying it as incompatible with American values. Such rhetoric has raised concerns about anti-Muslim prejudice and its growing role in sections of US right-wing politics.
According to an account of a private discussion with the chief of staff of a Republican member of Congress, however, support for such initiatives may also be driven by broader political calculations rather than concerns specifically related to Islam.
The congressional staffer was quoted as saying that Muslims represented an easy political target, while suggesting that hostility could ultimately extend to other minority communities, including people of South Asian origin and Jews.
The comments were made during a broader conversation about US policy towards Israel, Donald Trump’s influence over the Republican Party and the difficulties some Republican lawmakers reportedly face in publicly questioning Washington’s relationship with Israel.
The account also singled out Republican Congressman Randy Fine as particularly committed to strong pro-Israel positions within the caucus.
The debate highlights broader concerns about the intersection of US domestic politics, support for Israel, anti-Muslim rhetoric and the growing influence of nationalist movements across Western politics.
