A letter sent by slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before his death has now been made public, weeks after Netanyahu first referenced its existence.
Published on Monday, the seven-page letter reaffirms Kirk’s support for Israel but also openly acknowledges the country’s waning support among the American right. Kirk laid out both the criticisms he was hearing from younger conservatives and suggestions for how Netanyahu could counteract the decline.
The letter opened with Kirk reflecting: “One of my greatest joys as a Christian is advocating for Israel and forming alliances with Jews in the fight to protect Judeo-Christian civilization. The Holy Land is so important to my life, and it pains me to see support for Israel slip away.”
He admitted that criticisms of Israel were no longer confined to the left or the fringes of the right, but were becoming increasingly mainstream among conservatives. Among the key criticisms he listed were accusations that Israel is an apartheid state, that it is engaged in ethnic cleansing or genocide, and that it exerts excessive control over U.S. politics.
While Kirk dismissed these criticisms as disinformation or propaganda, he warned that unless Israel addressed them, the conservative coalition in the U.S. would fracture. He proposed several steps for Israel to regain trust and improve its image among American conservatives, including:
Establishing an Aggressive Media Response Unit.
Investing heavily in campus outreach programs.
Listening to conservatives’ concerns, particularly regarding AIPAC’s influence.
Expanding Pro-Israel content on streaming platforms.
The letter concluded with a stark warning: “Prime Minister, I say this with respect: Israel can't afford to lose America’s youth. We conservatives are your firewall against a Biden-Harris administration that would pressure for concessions. But if support erodes here, even a Trump White House might face domestic pushback on aid or Iran policy. Let’s partner now—before it’s too late.”
The timing of the letter, written two months before Kirk’s Turning Point USA event in July, is significant. That gathering, which included critics of Israel such as Tucker Carlson, reportedly sparked a falling out between Kirk and some of his pro-Israel donors. By August, Kirk was publicly lamenting that Israelis had more freedom to criticize their government than he did as a conservative leader in the United States.
In July, he defended his decision to provide a platform to Israel’s critics, arguing that excluding those voices would risk alienating younger conservatives and ultimately weaken the Republican Party. That same rationale was outlined in his message to Netanyahu, where Kirk urged Israel to adapt before losing the support of America’s next conservative generation.