National Conservatism Conferences Face Renewed Scrutiny Over Speaker Controversies

Phil Magness recently criticized Yoram Hazony, chairman of the Edmund Burke Foundation, alleging that Hazony maintains plausible deniability regarding "racist cranks" while inviting them to headline National Conservatism (NatCon) conferences. Magness's tweet, posted on social media, labeled Hazony as a "deeply unethical figure" whose actions are "starting to attract notice." This statement reignites ongoing debates surrounding the ideological direction and speaker selection of the influential conservative movement.

The National Conservatism movement, spearheaded by Israeli political theorist Yoram Hazony, advocates for a form of conservatism emphasizing national sovereignty, tradition, and a strong cultural identity. Organized by the Edmund Burke Foundation, NatCon conferences have become significant platforms for a range of conservative figures, including prominent politicians and intellectuals from the US and Europe. These events aim to articulate a vision for a renewed conservative agenda in Western nations.

Critics frequently accuse NatCon of providing a platform for individuals whose views are perceived as illiberal, exclusionary, or aligned with racialist ideologies. For instance, Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, writing in The UnPopulist in 2025, characterized Hazony's vision as potentially leading to the denial of rights for non-Jews in Israel and promoting an "explicitly Christian America." Ruttenberg also highlighted Hazony's controversial description of the peak era of American antisemitism and Jim Crow violence as "really beautiful."

Past NatCon events have featured speakers who have drawn controversy, such as historian David Starkey, who made contentious remarks about the Holocaust, and Miriam Cates, who employed the term "cultural Marxism." Vice President JD Vance, a frequent speaker at NatCon, has also emphasized a definition of Americanism based on "blood ties" and "history" rather than abstract principles, a stance critics argue is exclusionary.

Hazony and the Edmund Burke Foundation assert that NatCon aims to build a broad coalition of "anti-Marxist liberals, Christians and nationalists" to counter what they perceive as a "neo-Marxist cultural revolution." Hazony has explicitly stated that the movement "does not give a platform to antisemites" and that "those who are hostile to Jews will not receive any aid from our movement," while also distinguishing NatCon from "racialist and anti-democratic movements" on the far right.

The ongoing debate reflects a deeper ideological struggle within the conservative movement regarding its future direction and its relationship with liberal democratic principles. As NatCon continues to gain prominence, its approach to national identity, cultural cohesion, and speaker selection remains a focal point of scrutiny and contention among political observers and civil society groups.