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We at the Republican Jewish Coalition stand in solidarity with the government and people of Israel. Am Yisrael Chai – the Jewish people live!

We Remember Those Who Were Killed
We Pray For Those Held Hostage

There are many opportunities to help Israeli soldiers and civllians. We encourage you to consider giving your support to the following organizations:

Thank Israeli Soldiers

What an incredible weekend! The RJC Annual Leadership Summit in Las Vegas last weekend was a tremendous success. We had a record-breaking 1,500 attendees; thank you to everyone who was there.

As RJC CEO Matt Brooks said, only the RJC could bring all the major names in the GOP to one event: every GOP Presidential candidate, the newly-elected Speaker of the House, many Senators, Congressmen and Governors, and outstanding special guests like Mark Levin.

The RJC community is in anguish over the Hamas attack on October 7, in full support of Israel's war against Hamas, and deeply worried about the antisemitism we see on the rise in our country and around the globe. It was extremely meaningful to be with friends, to strengthen each other, and to stand together. Hearing so many Republican leaders express their unwavering support for Israel and their friendship with the Jewish community was truly moving.

We were honored to have as our speakers this year:

The amount of press coverage for the Summit was historic. We had 60 news outlets, 150 credentialed media personnel, and wall-to-wall coverage on TV, radio, print, and beyond.

C-SPAN carried the event live and the videos are now available on their website.

Media coverage included:

• Adelson: Our history does not bind us

  Dr. Miriam Adelson’s parents escaped Poland before World War II but the rest of her family did not. She writes at Israel Hayom that while Hamas is similar to the Nazis in their brutality and barbarism, there is a difference between today and 70 years ago.

   

  “Israelis did not rush to board departing flights. Instead, extra planes had to be made available to accommodate all of the IDF reservists coming back home to fight. Unlike in the Holocaust, when our people disappeared as ash in the wind, we now locate and identify all final remains of every last victim, to ensure they are buried in dignity with names known for eternity. And unlike in the Holocaust, when we were adrift and alone in an indifferent world, today's world leaders are lining up to make solidarity visits, despite the threat of rocket barrages, and to wish us victory. And victorious we shall be.”

• Bryen: Destroying war criminals saves everyone
  All civilian casualties are to be mourned. All. Always. Ever. One way to pay homage to the civilians who have died on both sides of this conflict is to take away the war-making capabilities of the war criminals whose motivation is the death and destruction of their own people as well as their enemies, and to set the people free. (Follow the Jewish Policy Center on Twitter and visit their website for more expert commentary.)

• Cooke: Where’s the outrage over the American citizens still held hostage by Hamas?
  The attack of October 7 claimed 33 American lives, making it one of the deadliest terrorist attacks for Americans in history. If, as Secretary [Antony] Blinken suggests, another ten Americans remain captive in Gaza, then the attack of October 7 was also — is also — one of the worst hostage situations for Americans on record. In any other era, these facts would have guaranteed wall-to-wall coverage in the press and regular updates from the president... Instead, the matter has been treated as a mere afterthought.

• Beres: I'm an international law expert; Israel’s actions in Gaza are completely proportional to the Hamas threat

  [T]hough Israel has every conceivable right to respond with military force, a significant segment of world public opinion is demanding greater “proportionality” between the precipitating Hamas crime and the necessary Israeli response to protect its citizens. But what precisely is meant by this inherently vague standard?

  ...Significantly, from the standpoint of authoritative international law, Israel’s response is not merely an expression of retributive justice (“an eye for an eye”), but of indispensable self-defense.

• Rothman: Joe Biden caves on Israel
  In the weeks that immediately followed the 10/7 massacre, Joe Biden said all the right things... These aspirations didn’t survive prolonged exposure to progressive agitation. Biden’s unapologetic backing for Israel’s refusal to abide the genocidal regime on its borders mightily offended what the New York Times described as the “young, diverse Left,” which has captured so much of the Democratic Party’s support structure, from academia to labor unions. Biden’s moral convictions sent his job-approval rating among Democrats into a tailspin. Muslim activists warned the president in no uncertain terms that his support for Israel would cost him their votes and, with them, crucial states like Michigan. The politics of 2024 intervened, and Biden has adapted.

• Jones: Group that Biden removed from terror list launches attacks on Israel

  An Islamist militant group backed by Iran that the Biden administration removed from its list of terror organizations in 2021 claimed responsibility for a series of attacks against Israel on Tuesday. Yemen’s Houthi rebels, also known as Ansar Allah, said in a statement that they are behind a series of missile and drone operations that have targeted Israel.

• JNS: Lew expected to take up ambassador post in Jerusalem on Friday

  Jacob (“Jack”) Lew, who the Senate confirmed as the new US ambassador to Israel earlier this week, will likely travel to the Jewish state on Friday with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on Wednesday... Lew, a 67-year-old Orthodox Jew, was White House chief of staff under former President Barack Obama, and directed the Office of Management and Budget under Obama and former President Bill Clinton ... Lew has come under fire for defending the Iran nuclear deal, which he argued would make Israel safer, and for supporting Obama’s decision in 2016 not to veto United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, which declared Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria illegal. (See the Senate confirmation vote roll call here.)

Fox News: Trump and his 2024 Republican presidential rivals to show ‘solidarity’ for Israel at major cattle call

...This is a Halley’s Comet-type rare event where we have all of the Republican presidential candidates together at the same event on the same day on the same stage," RJC CEO Matt Brooks told Fox News.

Brooks said the appearance of the major Republican presidential contenders and other major GOP leaders speaking at the three-day confab that got underway Thursday "underscores how much they value the Jewish community."

"The eyes of the world will be looking at this event this weekend," Brooks said.

And he emphasized that the conference "takes on even more significance because of the extraordinary show of solidarity and unity that we will see in the Republican leaders who are coming out in terms of their support for Israel at this critical time."

…"It’s important to point out that literally every single one of the speakers that we have announced are coming were all confirmed and committed before Oct. 7," Brooks stressed. "So, this isn’t just because of what happened on Oct. 7 that we’re drawing all these people. They had wanted to come and were planning to attend even before that."

JNS: At RJC summit, occasional Trump, DeSantis slips can be forgiven

...Republican Jewish Coalition leaders are heartened by the turnout—both attendees and every leading Republican presidential candidate—of the RJC’s annual Leadership Summit in Las Vegas over the weekend.

“I was shocked and amazed that so many people have gathered at this critical time when Israel is under siege, when the Jewish community is threatened by antisemitism at home, to come together in solidarity,” Matt Brooks, CEO of the coalition, told JNS.

“It was just very gratifying to be amongst so many people at this difficult time,” Brooks added. “It was comforting and I think really gave everybody a sense of community and a sense of well-being.”

...“Any one of them is better than Joe Biden,” [RJC National Chairman Senator Norm ] Coleman told JNS of Saturday’s candidate lineup in Vegas. “There’s a lot of talent out there.” (He said the same during his public remarks introducing the candidates on Saturday.)

Coleman pointed to “kitchen table” issues, such as the economy and crime, as factors affecting a general shift among US Jewry towards Republicans. Now, with many on the political left siding in a blatant fashion with Hamas over Israel, Coleman is hopeful of a US Jewish “awakening” about which party will best protect them.

Passing of Amb. Mel Sembler

The Republican Jewish Coalition notes with great sadness the passing of RJC Board of Directors member Mel Sembler of St. Petersburg, Florida. Mel was a profoundly influential person in so many ways. He remains a legendary figure in the Republican Party, both in Florida and nationally. He was a trusted advisor to several US Presidents, serving as US ambassador to Australia under President George H.W. Bush and as US Ambassador to Italy under President George W. Bush. With his wife Betty Sembler, Mel was a generous philanthropist to numerous causes, especially to fighting the scourge of drug abuse among young people.

For nearly forty years, Mel was a passionate RJC Leader and a valued member of the Board of Directors. He was a defender of Israel and a voice for freedom.

Our thoughts are with Mel's family in this difficult time, including RJC Board member Shelly Kamins and Diane Sembler Kamins. May they be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

'Hate never goes away': 5 years since the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting

“We are reminded that, unfortunately, we are actively witnessing horrific antisemitism both in Israel at the hands of Hamas terrorists and here at home on our streets and college campuses,” said Matt Brooks, the CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition. “With antisemitism on the rise here at home, the RJC and Republican Party stand unequivocally with the Jewish community and the state of Israel.”

Antisemitism is now out in the open

The masks hiding hatred have been ripped off for all to see: from pro-Hamas protests that shut down the Brooklyn Bridge to a violent invasion of a Jewish home in LA. University campuses are now boiling over with hate toward Jewish students – with threats to slit their throats. The supposedly pro-Palestinian protests do not condemn Hamas for its war crimes against Israelis and Palestinians, do not call for releasing Israeli hostages and do not advocate for a civil society in Gaza. The anti-Israel, anti-Jewish rallies glorify terrorists and include open calls for the murder of Jews and Israelis. (From The Focus Project . Find background, talking points, and actions to consider here.)

Contact information for our offices can be found on our website. Please visit us online for the latest RJC news , to see details of upcoming events, and to donate to the RJC. Read past editions of this newsletter here.