News

Washington, D.C. (October 14, 2012) -- The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) mourns the passing of U.S. Senator Arlen Specter, who dedicated his life as a public servant to the people of Pennsylvania and the United States.

RJC National Chairman David Flaum said, “Arlen Specter was a devoted public servant with a great passion for justice. He was a staunch supporter of Israel in the U.S. Senate and during his tenure led efforts to expand and enhance the U.S.-Israel relationship. He was also a leading advocate for freedom for Soviet Jewry.

“May his family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.”

Washington, D.C. (October 5, 2012) -- The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) has released the next in its series of television ads. The new ad features a conversation with Home Depot founder Bernie Marcus.

Bernie Marcus is one of the country's great success stories, the son of immigrants who became a major leader and philanthropist in the Jewish community, and a supporter of programs and institutions, from medical services and research to the Georgia Aquarium, that enhance the lives of children and families across the United States.

In the RJC ad, Bernie has an important message for the Jewish community and for the country. Bernie shares his concerns for our nation and how frightened he is by what Pres. Obama's policies mean for America, especially for our children and future generations. In particular, the lack of job creation and rising home foreclosures are limiting the American dream for millions of families.

As someone who has taken Home Depot from one store to one of the largest companies in the world, and as someone who has hired millions of people over many years in business, Bernie is in a unique position to know which policies can bring about economic growth and prosperity and how badly Pres. Obama's policies are hurting us.

The 60-second ad, part of the RJC's $6.5 million campaign, is airing on broadcast and cable television in Florida, Ohio, Nevada and Pennsylvania. A longer, 3-minute web version can be seen on the RJC web site and on YouTube.

Click here or on the image below to see the TV ad:

See more RJC television ads here and here.

Washington, D.C. (October 4, 2012) -- The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) responded today to the first presidential debate of 2012. RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said:

“Mitt Romney took control of the first debate and won it handily on both substance and style.

“Last night Americans saw the real Mitt Romney - not the caricature of the attack ads and biased media reports. They saw Romney in command of the facts, secure in his principles, and demonstrating the leadership and competence that have been missing in the White House for nearly four years.

“Romney made his case effectively on taxes, jobs, protecting the middle class, and health care. But he also gave voice to the enduring values of America, showed how far we have strayed from them under the Obama administration, and pledged to turn America back onto the path of economic growth and opportunity for all."

Washington, D.C. (October 30, 2012) -- The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) has released the next in its series of television ads in targeted swing states. In the new ad, Renie Tell, a life-long Democrat from New York, relates her personal story of Obama buyer's remorse.

Renie supported Barack Obama in 2008, but won't vote for him this year. She says, "I guess I fell for 'Hope and Change' ... the 'hope' is gone and the 'change' didn't happen, and I think what changed has changed for the worse." On jobs, the economy, and Israel Renie says, "We can do better than Barack Obama."

The ad will run on broadcast and cable television in Florida, Nevada, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Click here or on the graphic below to watch Renie tell her story.

See "Michael," the first television ad in the series, here. For more personal stories, visit http://mybuyersremorse.com.

 

The RJC today released the latest in its series of print ads. Entitled "The View," the ad criticizes Pres. Obama's decision to appear on a TV talk show while refusing to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The RJC ad calls this decision and other Obama foreign policy missteps part of a pattern of "Jimmy Carter-style foreign policy" that the RJC characterizes as "naïve" and "dangerous."

The ad will run next week in 11 Jewish newspapers as full-page ads in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Nevada.

Click here or on the graphic below to see a full-sized PDF of the ad.

The RJC announces the release of the full 9-minute mini-documentary on Barack Obama and Israel, entitled “Perilous Times.”

Click the image below to see it.

For anyone who cares about Israel or is worried about events in the Middle East, this documentary is a "must see."

In the film, leading Israeli experts and everyday citizens candidly discuss their concerns about the U.S.-Israel relationship under Pres. Obama. Among the notable experts consulted for this film are:

• • 
    Zalman Shoval, former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. and a highly-respected diplomat;

• • 
    Oren Kessler, foreign affairs correspondent at the Jerusalem Post;

• • 
    Barry Rubin, an expert on terrorism and Middle East affairs;

• • 
    Jacob Levy, Israel's leading pollster and founder of Gallup Israel;

• • 
    Lenny Ben David, former diplomat and former head of AIPAC in Israel;

• • 
    Itamar Marcus, founder and director of Palestinian Media Watch; and

• • 
    Yair Shamir, leading Israeli businessman; former chair of El Al and Israel Aerospace; son of former PM Yitzhak Shamir.

You can also watch the film here. Please share this with your friends and help us get this important film out to the Jewish community.

Washington, D.C. (September 24, 2012) -- The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) commented today on remarks by Pres. Barack Obama in a "60 Minutes" interview that aired last night.

When asked about Israel's concerns about the very real threat of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, Pres. Obama dismissed them as "noise."
(Video and quotes from the interview are at The Weekly Standard web site.)

RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks responded:

"The urgent and well-founded concerns of Israel about the continuing Iranian nuclear arms program are not 'noise.' In this area, as in so many others, American national security interests and Israeli security interests are aligned: we cannot allow Iran to develop the capacity to create and deploy nuclear weapons.

"Diplomacy and sanctions have not impeded the Iranians' progress toward their goal, and recent reports from the IAEA and the Iranian regime corroborate the Israelis' long-held view that Iran has lied to international inspectors and gotten much farther along the path to nuclear weapons than has previously been acknowledged.

"By dismissing Israel's and the international community's legitimate concerns about Iran as mere 'noise,' Pres. Obama yet again displays his Jimmy Carter-like naiveté when it comes to U.S. foreign policy. In these dangerous times, that puts the United States and our friends and allies around the world in jeopardy."

September 21, 2012

The RJC has just posted the trailer for our soon-to-be-released mini-documentary on Barak Obama and Israel, entitled "Perilous Times."

Click the image below to check it out.

In the film, leading Israeli experts and everyday citizens candidly discuss their concerns about the U.S.-Israel relationship under Pres. Obama.

You can also watch the trailer here. Please share this with your friends and help us get this important film out to the Jewish community.

Visit the RJC web site on September 28 to watch the complete film!

Washington, D.C. (September 20, 2012) -- The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) responded to the release today of a poll by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) which showed continued erosion of support for President Obama in the Jewish community. This poll showed that President Obama would receive just 69 percent of the Jewish vote in Florida, a key swing state with a significant Jewish population.

RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said, "This poll hints at trouble for Pres. Obama in the Jewish community. We have seen ample evidence in many recent polls that Pres. Obama will have difficulty reaching the same level of Jewish support that he received in 2008. We believe that the "buyer's remorse" in the Jewish community among those who voted for Obama in ‘08 is a result of disillusionment with the President's policies on the economy and on foreign policy, including Israel, and that it is a big factor in the erosion of support for the President."

Background:
Comparison of AJC poll with exit polls from election years 2000, 2004, and 2008 showing the percentage of the Jewish vote in Florida received by the Democratic presidential candidate:

Sources:
2000 election, Al Gore
http://www.gqrr.com/articles/1215/727_The%20Jewish%20Vote%20in%202004.pdf, page 11

2004 election, John Kerry
http://forward.com/articles/4438/jewish-voters-flock-to-kerry-but-polls-show-sligh/

2008 election, Barack Obama
http://www.ajc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=ijITI2PHKoG&b=849241&ct=12190405

2012 AJC poll
http://www.ajc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=ijITI2PHKoG&b=846741&ct=12190055

"Buyer's Remorse" Message Launched in FL, OH, NV, and PA

Washington, D.C. (September 19, 2012) -- The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) today announced the release of the first in a series of television ads in targeted swing states. The ads will appear on broadcast and cable television in South Florida (Miami, Broward, and Palm Beach County markets), Ohio (Cleveland), Nevada (Las Vegas), and Pennsylvania (Philadelphia). The $5 million ad buy begins on September 19 and will continue through November 5.

Entitled "Michael," the ad is a shortened version of a previously-released web ad that the Washington Post called "very effective."

The RJC ads will showcase the real stories of real people such as Michael Goldstein, a life-long Jewish Democrat from New Jersey who supported Barack Obama in 2008 but won't vote for him in 2012 because of his disappointment in the President's handling of relations with Israel and his failed economic policies.

RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said, "This ad highlights the 'buyer's remorse' felt by many in the Jewish community, who voted for Obama four years ago, but are now disillusioned with his economic policies and his policies toward Israel. These ads, and the stories of the people in them, give voice to the nagging doubts that many Jewish voters feel about President Obama. To underscore that point, numerous polls have shown an erosion in Jewish support for the President."

The ads will appear on broadcast and cable television in South Florida (Miami, Broward, and Palm Beach County markets), Ohio (Cleveland), Nevada (Las Vegas), and Pennsylvania (Philadelphia). The $5 million ad buy begins on September 19 and will continue through November 5.

See the new ad here.