Gorka Withdraws From NatCon Jerusalem, but Website Still Lists Him
Sebastian Gorka will not attend the National Conservatism conference opening on October 6, 2026 in Jerusalem, even as his appearance remains advertised on the event website.
The White House told The Guardian that Sebastian Gorka, described as the Trump administration's anti-terrorism czar, would no longer attend due to a scheduling conflict The Guardian. He had been scheduled to speak at the gathering. The listing remains live.
Conference details
NatCon Jerusalem 2026 is scheduled for October 6-8, 2026 in Jerusalem, Israel National Conservatism. It is being held at Jerusalem's International Convention Center The Guardian.
Gorka is listed by National Conservatism as a Featured Speaker for NatCon Jerusalem. His organizer biography identifies him as a recipient of the DoD Joint Civilian Service Commendation awarded by US Special Operations Command for counterterrorism work National Conservatism.
Speakers on the program
The published program pairs American, Israeli and European figures. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is listed on the program, as is Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu The Guardian. Both names appear alongside U.S. participants in the conference materials.
Two European politicians are listed as speakers. Former head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency Hans-Georg Maaßen is listed as a European speaker, along with Austrian Freedom Party politician Harald Vilimsky The Guardian. Think of domestic intelligence as the office that tracks threats inside a country, distinct from foreign espionage.
The schedule lists registration opening at 7:30 am and opening remarks at 9:00 am. Plenary I, the main session everyone attends together, features Yoram Hazony speaking on "The Jewish People in a Post-Liberal World". The published agenda also includes a Panel I titled 'Liberalism and the Crisis of the Family' and a Panel II titled 'Immigration and Cultural Replacement'.
What to watch next
The broader context here is logistical as much as diplomatic. Withdrawals announced to press while listings stay active are common in conference diplomacy. They leave organizers, attendees and foreign counterparts to parse who will actually take the stage.
Looking at what this means for the next three days, the test is straightforward. Observers will watch whether Gorka's name is removed from the site and program, whether he appears by video or is replaced, and how the published mix of U.S., Israeli and European speakers functions in the room. For practitioners, the schedule itself provides the map: plenary framing around Jewish peoplehood and post-liberalism, with panels on family structure and immigration policy.
