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The RJC is proud to host a reception in Milwaukee today to honor our great, pro-Israel Republican elected officials. If you're not in Milwaukee, you can still see all the action, because C-SPAN is covering the event live.

RJC CEO Matt Brooks had the opportunity to address the full Republican National Convention on Tuesday. His remarks touched on the two core issues for Jewish Americans right now: the US-Israel relationship and antisemitism in America.

Watch the video of his remarks here.

See photos from the evening here.

This morning, RJC CEO Matt Brooks appeared on Stu Varney's show on Fox Business to talk about the Jewish vote in 2024 and the differences between the GOP and the Democratic Party when it comes to Israel.

Watch their conversation here.

Times of Israel: Republican Jewish Coalition slams ‘attempted assassination’ of Trump

The Republican Jewish Coalition condemns the "attempted assassination of [US] President Donald Trump" as an "abomination."

"Violence has absolutely no place in our politics," it says in a statement, thanking the Secret Service, law enforcement and medical personnel for their "swift response."

"We pray for refuah shlema — a complete recovery and healing — for President [Donald] Trump," it says, adding that he’ll "return stronger and more determined."

Times of Israel: Republican Jewish Coalition welcomes Trump’s VP pick: ‘Vance will always stand with the Jewish community, Israel’

"A son of Middletown, Ohio, Marine Corps veteran, and successful businessman, JD Vance’s life story is the quintessential American dream. We know Senator Vance will serve our country with distinction as vice president as he has in the US Senate. We also know Senator Vance will always stand with the Jewish community and with America’s key strategic ally Israel," the RJC says.

Voices of Impact: Donald Trump, coalition building, Republican Party with Matthew Brooks

For the Voices of Impact podcast, RJC CEO Matt Brooks sat down with Isaac Ohrenstein of the World Jewish Congress for an engaging look at how the RJC developed, from its start in 1985 to today, and a deep dive into the RJC's goals and plans for 2024. The RJC has invested in grassroots outreach in battleground states to make sure that we bring out the Jewish vote for Republicans and make a difference in the final tally. Listen here.

Times of Israel: Jewish Republican leads prayer for hostages at first day of RNC

Leora Levy, an RJC leader from Connecticut, led a prayer on the first day of the Republican National Convention. The Times of Israel reports:

Her comments include one of the rare mentions of Israel on the convention’s first day, as she leads a hushed and somber crowd in praying for the release of hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7.

"O Lord our God, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, your eternal city, and for all the children of Abraham, we remember and pray for freedom for the hostages kidnapped and held so cruelly against their will," Levy says. "Lord, please keep them in your sight and hasten the day of their freedom."

Forward: Why GOP Jews are more jazzed about Trump this election

Republican Jews at their party’s national convention this week describe their enthusiasm for Trump as more robust than it has ever been.

…Never before had the head of the Republican Jewish Coalition addressed the convention. But the crowd roared Tuesday when its director, Matt Brooks, told the delegates to "cheer" if they support Israel.

…Republican Jews at the convention speculate that declining support for [Joe] Biden after his disastrous debate performance last month gives [Donald] Trump a better opportunity to court the Jewish vote. And that vote, they point out, could make a difference. Though Jews represent only 2% of the electorate, even a small slip of Jewish voters toward Trump in swing states — including Pennsylvania, Michigan and Nevada — could hand him the election.

Yesterday, we shared with you a news story about the RJC's positive relationship with JD Vance. Read it here.

Here are some more things you should know about our great vice presidential candidate.

• JD Vance is not afraid to defend his pro-Israel position. At an event hosted by the Quincy Institute (not a pro-Israel place) he said:

If we’re going to support Israel, as I think that we should, we have to articulate a reason why it’s in our best interest," Vance said.

"Israel is one of the most dynamic, certainly on a per capita basis, one of the most dynamic and technologically advanced countries in the world," Vance went on, citing work done on Israel’s end to "actually give us missile-defense parity. That’s a very important national security objective of the United States of America, and that’s something we’re working with one of the most innovative economies in the world to accomplish."

• Lahav Harkov at the Jerusalem Post was probably the first Israeli journalist to interview JD Vance. During his 2022 visit to Israel, his first, Vance had this to say:

"I will be as strong an advocate for the US-Israel relationship as anyone," Vance said, calling those ties "an expression of deeper things, of cultural affinity and shared heritage and values."

... "A lot of foreign policy issues run through this country, whether it’s the Iran deal or the Abraham Accords," he said. "This [trip] is for me to get smarter about the issues."

Vance said that he agreed with US conservative positions in the region, such as that "the Iran deal was a disaster, Israel is our most important ally and [former US president Donald] Trump was right to move the [embassy] to Jerusalem."

Troy: Another chapter in a grim history

Presidential historian Tevi Troy offers a look at the history of political violence against Presidents. He writes: "The biggest lesson, though, is that American politics has long been contentious, and we all need to watch our public rhetoric. Bob Dole would say on the campaign trail that Bill Clinton was “my opponent and not my enemy,” a formulation worth remembering. Framing our policy differences, however serious, in hysterical terms, as too many Americans have been doing for too long, raises the prospect of extremists or mentally damaged people taking matters into their own hands."

Bryen: Biden stumbled — But not the way you thought

After President Joe Biden’s Thursday press conference, most people appeared to have fixated on the gaffes. Okay, that is fun. But the president appeared to know exactly (or mostly) what he wanted to say about the Middle East; he didn’t stumble and he could be heard clearly. And that is the problem — to the extent that he was speaking the truth, or the truth he has gleaned from the State Department and left-leaning members of Congress: Israel is in serious trouble with America’s Middle East policy.

Litwack: The 90% Question

Maury Litwack writes that if the Jewish community wants to have an impact on policy in America – on antisemitism, on Israel, or on any other issue – it is vital that Jewish voters get out and cast their ballots in this election. He writes:

"In the recent New York Democratic congressional primary that pitted Rep. Jamaal Bowman (noted for his anti-Israel stance) and George Latimer, one Westchester shul achieved nearly 90% turnout. This followed a concerted voter drive under the banner "Westchester Unites," spearheaded by my organization: Teach Coalition.

"This race was decided by 12,816 votes. The Jewish vote constituted 15,508 votes. Our overall turnout was astonishingly high. While the rest of the district voted at 27%, the Jewish vote was over 60%. This was a civic earthquake with immediate aftershocks. Politicians around the state took notice. Journalists across the country took notice. Other communities took notice. "What if the Jewish community in my district turned out at that rate?" was a question whispered by many of your elected officials.

"... Only you can call your friends and encourage them to vote. Only you can knock on a new neighbor’s door and make sure they are registered to vote. Only you can ultimately vote."

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.