Key facts
- A National Conservatism (NatCon) conference is taking place in Jerusalem.
- Speakers include Israeli figures Bezalel Smotrich and Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu.
- European speakers include Hans-Georg Maaßen and Harald Vilimsky.
- American attendees include William Wolfe and Jonathan Keeperman.
- Sebastian Gorka, initially scheduled, withdrew due to a scheduling conflict.
- The conference is organized by the Edmund Burke Foundation, founded by Yoram Hazony.
A National Conservatism (NatCon) conference, featuring a significant gathering of far-right figures from the United States, Israel, and Europe, began today in Jerusalem. The event, organized by the Edmund Burke Foundation, aims to convene international national conservatives, a movement described by scholars as an influential strand of an anti-liberal “New Right.”
Initially advertised to feature Sebastian Gorka, a former Trump administration anti-terrorism czar, his attendance was later rescinded due to a scheduling conflict, according to a White House spokesperson. Gorka has condemned Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel.
Notable Israeli speakers include Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who self-identifies as a "fascist homophobe," and Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, who previously called for an atom bomb to be dropped on Gaza and faced disciplinary proceedings for alleged racist incitement.
From Europe, the conference includes Hans-Georg Maaßen, formerly the head of Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, who faced expulsion from his party for statements associated with antisemites and conspiracy ideologues. Harald Vilimsky, a politician from Austria’s far-right Freedom party, is also attending; his party has historically been subject to a policy of non-engagement by Israel’s government. Vilimsky has reportedly played a role in building ties between his party and Israel.
The American contingent features William Wolfe, a self-described Christian nationalist advocating for policies to preserve a white Christian majority, and Jonathan Keeperman, identified as the individual behind the far-right internet persona “L0m3z.”
High-profile conservatives such as Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts and Victoria Coates, vice-president at Heritage’s Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy, are also participating. Roberts has previously defended Tucker Carlson and spoken out against antisemitism, though his past remarks have drawn scrutiny.
Commentators like Erick Erickson have criticized some attendees, including Roberts and Scott Yenor, for embracing white nationalism and antisemitism to varying degrees. The conference organizer, Yoram Hazony, has previously defended controversial speakers at past NatCon events.