View in Browser

• RJC CEO Matt Brooks was interviewed by the Washington Post about the RJC’s recent endorsement of Virginia state Senator John McGuire, who is challenging sitting GOP Congressman Bob Good in the primary election.

Wash. Post: What led you to endorse McGuire?

Brooks: We have a long-standing history at the Republican Jewish Coalition of speaking out against folks who are anti-Israel, whether they be Democrats like "the Squad" and the progressives on the left but also folks who voice anti-Israel sentiments on the right. It would be hypocritical if we only attacked Democrats.

We have in the past gone after people like [former Republican presidential candidate] Pat Buchanan, [former Louisiana state representative] David Duke. We were the group that was responsible for defeating Congressman Steve King. We're spending over a million dollars in Indiana this election cycle to beat former congressman John Hostettler, who was one of the most anti-Israel voices in Congress during his tenure and subsequently wrote a book basically trafficking in antisemitic tropes and blaming the Jews and Jewish influence for all of America's problems.

The tipping point for us was [Good's] vote the other day on the Israel emergency supplemental aid bill. That was a clear, up-and-down, unambiguous vote. People had a chance to either stand with Israel or stand on the other side, and Bob Good decided to stand on the other side.

Wash. Post: Twenty other House Republicans voted against the Israel bill. Do you plan to endorse challengers running against any of them?

Brooks: If there's a credible challenge to any of those people, we absolutely will likely be involved. We have an online donor portal so that people through the RJC can donate directly to different candidates. None of the candidates who voted no will have access to our donor portal. They will not be invited to speak or to participate in any RJC events, like our conference in Las Vegas. Even if we're not actively working against them in a primary, we're not going to give them a platform or a stage or in any way support them or allow them to raise money via our networks.

See the full interview here. You can support John McGuire through the RJC PAC Portal.

• RJC Political Director Sam Markstein appeared on NewsMax TV this week to discuss the pro-Hamas, antisemitic protests on college campuses. Watch here.

• See our press release: RJC commemorates Jewish American Heritage Month as antisemitism spikes

• The Jewish Insider quoted our release applauding House passage of the Antisemitism Awareness Act:

The Republican Jewish Coalition's leadership said it is "disappointed in the Republicans who voted against the bill," as well as blasted House Democratic leadership for not whipping support for the bill.

See also: While Biden And Democrats Allow Antisemitism to Flourish, Jewish Americans are Increasingly Finding a Home with the Republican Party, the Republican National Committee's talking points contrasting the strong support and commitment of Republicans to Israel and to the American Jewish community with the failures of President Joe Biden and the Democrats.

• The RJC's decision to support Mark Messmer against John Hostettler in Indiana's Eighth Congressional District made news:

Packed race to succeed Bucshon in Congress has narrowed (paywall)

Hostettler, who is attempting a comeback in this year's race, opposed a resolution expressing support for Israel during its conflict with the Palestinians in October 2000. RJC claims he "consistently opposed vital aid to Israel (and) trafficked antisemitic conspiracy theories."

RJC is backing State Sen. Mark Messmer (R-Jasper), who local Republicans and the Cook Political Report describe as Hostettler's most formidable opponent in the top tier of a GOP primary with eight candidates.

Pro-Israel groups target Republican House candidate they deem antisemitic

According to documents filed with the Federal Election Commission, the United Democracy Project (UDP) Super Pac, which is affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, has spent $1.2m against Hostettler. The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) Victory Fund has also spent about $950,000 supporting one of Hostettler's top rivals, the Indiana state senate majority leader, Mark Messmer.

Those figures dwarf Hostettler's own fundraising numbers, as his campaign has reported bringing in $40,635 in donations across the election cycle to date. Messmer brought in nearly 20 times as much, reporting $763,290 in contributions so far.

Axios reports:

During a visit to Columbia last Thursday to show support for a pro-Palestinian encampment on the university's campus, [Rep. Ilhan] Omar (D-MN) was asked by Fox 5 New York about alleged antisemitic incidents spurred by the protest.

"I actually met a lot of Jewish students who are in the encampment, and I think it is really unfortunate that people don't care about the fact that all Jewish kids should be kept safe," the Somali-American lawmaker said.

She added: "We should not have to tolerate antisemitism or bigotry for all Jewish students, whether they are pro-genocide or anti-genocide."

Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) said he is working on a censure measure, telling Axios "talking about pro-genocide Jewish students is wrong."

"Folks can protest Israel, but don't blame Jewish-American students for Israel. That is by definition anti-Semitism," Bacon said.

The Nebraska Republican added that "all students deserve [a] safe environment."

Video of Rep. Omar's comment is here.

The Washington Examiner reports:

The Biden administration is reportedly considering bringing certain Gazan refugees into the United States.

According to internal federal government documents obtained by CBS News, senior officials from federal agencies have considered plans to resettle some Palestinian refugees in the US as the war between Israel and Hamas nears seven months.

…The discussions would be a major change in policy for the US, with the US not accepting a significant number of Palestinian refugees in recent years. In fiscal 2023, only 56 of 60,000 refugees accepted into the US were Palestinians.

The courageous vs. the craven

RJC Board of Directors member Eric Levine compares the recent actions of House Speaker Mike Johnson with those of President Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. He concludes: "The good news is that Mike Johnson is growing into his role as Speaker of the House. The bad news is that Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer are both in dire need of a moral compass."

A vote for Trump is a vote for Netanyahu?

Axios has an odd report that shows just how fully antisemitism has taken over Democrats' brains: "Asked if the [pro-Hamas campus] protests are giving Democrats political heartburn, a House Democrat told Axios, 'How could it not, right? We need to remember that a vote for [Donald] Trump or sitting out this election or voting third party is a vote for [Benjamin] Netanyahu,' the Democrat said."

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.