Indeed, we must distinguish between supporting the Third Temple and the state of Israel, but the question persists: Why do some Americans, particularly MAGA supporters like Pete Hegseth, openly back the construction of the Third Temple in Jerusalem?
As for your question, "Who else in the region should we support? Hamas? Muslim Brotherhood?"—that's a false dichotomy. The MAGA crowd often insists Israel is the only US ally in the Middle East, but that's demonstrably false. Look at the facts:
Saudi Arabia: Key partner; US provides arms and intel. ~5,000 US troops (Prince Sultan Air Base). Supports anti-Iran and anti-Houthi efforts.
UAE: Direct ally post-Abraham Accords (2020). ~2,000 US troops (Al Dhafra Air Base).
Qatar: Hosts largest US base (Al Udeid, ~10,000 troops, CENTCOM HQ). Key partner.
Jordan: Reliable ally for stability and migration. ~2,000–3,000 US troops (Muwaffaq Salti Air Base). Anti-ISIS support.
Turkey: NATO member since 1952. ~1,500 US troops (Incirlik Base).
Others:
Egypt (~$1.3B/year aid, peace with Israel),
Kuwait (~13,500 troops, Camp Arifjan),
Bahrain (US 5th Fleet),
Oman (base access). ~45,000 US troops total in the region.
How do MAGA supporters reconcile this when Trump is welcomed in UAE and Qatar with golden planes and billions in US investments, yet they claim Israel’s the only ally? Can you explain this contradiction?