ByJERUSALEM POST STAFFSEPTEMBER 10, 2026 18:14Ben ShapiroBen Shapiro has spent more than a decade as one of the most recognizable figures in American conservative media. A lawyer, author, and co-founder of The Daily Wire, he hosts "The Ben Shapiro Show," where he provides daily commentary on US politics, culture, foreign policy, and social issues.Shapiro’s Jewish identity and support for Israel have long been prominent elements of his public persona. Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, Israel and antisemitism have taken on an even larger role in his commentary, as divisions over both issues have deepened on the American Right.In a 2025 interview on antisemitism and the changing conservative movement, Shapiro warned about the growth of conspiracy theories targeting Jews and Israel on social media. His disagreements with right-wing figures such as Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson have similarly reflected the widening debate within conservative media over Israel and US involvement in the Middle East.Shapiro continues to speak at universities, political gatherings, and media events while maintaining a substantial digital audience. His influence comes primarily from the consistency and scale of that platform. For millions of listeners and viewers, his program remains a regular source of conservative political commentary, including on Israel and Jewish affairs.Mark LevinMark Levin represents an older generation of conservative broadcasting. The lawyer, author, and former Reagan administration official hosts the nationally syndicated "The Mark Levin Show" and the Fox News program "Life, Liberty & Levin," giving him a presence across both radio and television.Mark Levin (credit: Wikimedia Commons)Before becoming a full-time media personality, Levin served in several positions in the Reagan administration, including as chief of staff to attorney-general Edwin Meese. He later headed the Landmark Legal Foundation and built a second career as an author of conservative political books.Levin has remained a consistent supporter of Israel and has frequently devoted his programs to the US-Israel relationship, Iran, and Middle East security. In 2025, US President Donald Trump appointed him to the Homeland Security Advisory Council. He has nevertheless occasionally challenged the administration on foreign policy, including publicly pressing Trump in 2026 to release details of an agreement with Iran.His role in the broader media landscape is relatively straightforward. Levin has spent decades speaking to an established conservative audience, combining constitutional arguments, Republican politics, and strong views on American foreign policy. His inclusion alongside other Jewish media figures explaining Israel and the Middle East reflects the durability of that platform.Dan SenorDan Senor has built his influence around a different task: translating Israel’s complexities for people who do not live there.Senor is best known as the co-author, with Saul Singer, of Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle. Published in 2009, the book helped introduce global business audiences to Israel’s technology ecosystem and helped popularize “Start-Up Nation” as shorthand for the country’s culture of entrepreneurship and innovation.He and Singer returned to the subject in 2023 with The Genius of Israel, examining Israeli resilience, institutions, and social cohesion. Senor’s ability to connect Israeli developments with broader economic, political, and strategic questions has carried over into his increasingly influential podcast, "Call Me Back."The program has become a forum for conversations with Israeli journalists, politicians, military figures, hostage families, American policymakers, and analysts. Rather than treating Israel principally through the lens of periodic conflict, Senor regularly examines the society and institutions behind the headlines.That approach has given the podcast growing relevance during a period when Americans are seeking context on Israel beyond daily breaking news. In July 2026, Israeli journalist Nadav Eyal used Senor’s podcast to announce that Columbia University was moving ahead with its Tel Aviv center, an example of how the program has evolved into a venue where news is not merely discussed but made.Senor’s influence therefore extends beyond commentary. Through books, media appearances, investment, and podcasting, he has spent years creating a vocabulary through which international audiences can understand Israeli innovation, politics, security, and society.Jake TapperJake Tapper occupies perhaps the broadest mainstream platform of the four. CNN’s lead Washington anchor, the host of "The Lead with Jake Tapper," and a co-host of "State of the Union," Tapper has covered presidential campaigns, wars, Congress, and successive administrations during a career spanning decades.His Jewish background has remained visible without defining the entirety of his reporting. Tapper attended Jewish day school in Philadelphia and has spoken about how Jewish traditions of debate and questioning helped shape his approach to journalism.That background became particularly relevant after October 7. Tapper repeatedly provided airtime to relatives of Israelis and Americans held hostage by Hamas, allowing families to tell viewers who their loved ones were rather than reducing the crisis to numbers. Among them were the relatives of Israeli-American hostage Omer Neutra, whose family spoke with Tapper about the urgency of bringing the hostages home.His influence also reaches far beyond Israel. Tapper and Dana Bash moderated the pivotal June 2024 presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. In 2025, he and Axios reporter Alex Thompson published Original Sin, an investigation into Biden’s decision to seek reelection and concerns surrounding his physical and mental decline, placing Tapper directly inside one of the most consequential debates about the 2024 election.Tapper’s ability to move between adversarial political interviews, major election coverage, international affairs, and deeply personal reporting has made him a durable presence in American journalism. For Jewish audiences in particular, his platform has also ensured that antisemitism, Israeli hostage families, and Jewish identity remain part of the mainstream national conversation.No. 44: Prof. Jennifer Mnookin >><< No. 46: Michael Dell, Amnon Shashua, Jan Koum, Safra Catz, Brandon Korff, Dmitry and Igor BukhmanThe 50 Most Influential Jews 2026 Full ListFollow us on Google