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RJC Launches Major Opening Ad Salvo Against Kamala Harris in Key States

Fox News reports:

A top grassroots group that represents Jewish Republicans is taking aim at Vice President Kamala Harris for being absent from Wednesday's speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in front of a joint meeting of Congress.

 

The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), in an announcement shared first with Fox News, is launching a five-figure digital ad buy in key general election swing states that accuses the vice president and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee for "snubbing" the Israeli leader's address to Congress.

 

…"Instead of supporting America’s strongest ally by attending Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech to Congress, Kamala Harris decides to go a sorority luncheon," the narrator in the RJC's ad says. "A sorority luncheon. She can’t be serious."

 

"Kamala Harris: Her priorities are not our priorities," the narrator concludes.

The digital ads are targeted at voters in the key battleground states of Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

 

See the ad here.

 

The Washington Free Beacon notes:

The RJC also took aim at Harris’s failure as vice president to condemn anti-Semitic incidents nationwide, with the Wednesday ad saying, "Jewish Americans were rightly concerned when Kamala Harris sided with the pro-Hamas demonstrators shouting anti-Semitic and anti-Israel slogans, disrupting our campuses, and harassing Jewish students."

Breitbart quotes the RJC's announcement, which read in part:

Vice President Kamala Harris, as President of the US Senate, should be in attendance to preside over the chamber. Harris has totally failed her first test as a candidate for President of the United States – and the RJC will hold her accountable.

 

Starting today, RJC will be running ads in key battleground states, targeting Jewish voters utilizing the best data operation in politics.

 

Kamala Harris’ priorities are not the Jewish community’s priorities. If you thought Joe Biden was bad, Kamala Harris is far worse on issues of top concern for pro-Israel voters.

Read the RJC's full press release here.

Did you see the TRUMP KIPPAH that Matt held up during his Convention speech?

GET YOURS HERE!

RJC National Chairman Senator Norm Coleman.

RJC Honors Top Pro-Israel GOP Officials at Convention

Last Thursday evening, the RJC was proud to host a reception on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention's final day to honor pro-Israel GOP elected officials. You can watch the entire event on C-SPAN, here.

 

Among the distinguished guests were Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, Representative Michael Waltz (R-FL-6), and Indiana State Senator, and candidate for US House, Mark Messmer. Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Herzog addressed the event. RJC National Chairman Senator Norm Coleman and RJC CEO Matt Brooks also spoke.

 

You can find media coverage of the event at this New York Post piece about Speaker Mike Johnson, this Washington Free Beacon piece that quotes Rep. Mike Waltz, this Times of Israel piece on Secretary Mike Pompeo, and this New York Post story about Pompeo.

Netanyahu Addresses the US Congress

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to the US in the midst of a hectic and unprecedented news cycle. As JNS founder Alex Traiman wrote: "While the United States was clearly in the middle of a contentious election cycle, there was absolutely no way to predict that by the time Netanyahu arrived, President Joe Biden would no longer be the Democratic candidate, or that Republican candidate and Former President Donald Trump would have just survived an assassination attempt."

 

The tensions surrounding this state visit were immediately apparent. Traiman notes: "Netanyahu arrived with less than typical fanfare. Not only were Biden and Harris unable to greet Netanyahu at the airport, even Secretary of State Antony Blinken, America’s top diplomat, did not prioritize Netanyahu’s welcome. It was a less than subtle snub."

 

More than 100 Democratic members of the House and Senate reportedly boycotted Netanyahu's speech to the joint session of Congress yesterday. Most egregiously, Vice President Kamala Harris absented herself from Washington for the day, instead of sitting alongside the Speaker of the House on the dais.

 

Jonathan Tobin comments:

[Harris] was desperate to avoid being seen on television and in photos published afterward sitting behind Netanyahu as he spoke and, as she would have been obligated to do, joining in the standing ovations for his appeals to the common interests of the two allies and denunciations of their Islamist foes. Such images would have been political poison… Her goal now is uniting all Democrats, including the antisemitic left, behind her...

The Prime Minister gave a moving and effective speech that should not be missed. You can watch it on C-SPAN, here, or read the full text here.

 

Marc Rod at the Jewish Insider reported:

In his fourth address to Congress, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made an aggressive case to the US and the world in defense of Israel’s operations in Gaza, while also offering appreciation to President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump for their support for Israel.

 

…Much of the speech was dedicated to defending Israel from attacks and criticism it has faced on the world stage since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks, repeating arguments often invoked by the Jewish state and its allies.

 

…He repeatedly sought to frame Israel and the US as fighting the same enemy in Iran, describing Israel as the vanguard and bulwark in a fight for “our common civilization,” as well as a “loyal friend and steadfast partner” to the US.

 

“If you remember one thing from this speech, remember this: Our enemies are your enemies, our fight is your fight, and our victory will be your victory,” Netanyahu said.

Outside of the Capitol, thousands of anti-Israel, pro-Hamas protesters marched with signs and Hamas flags, and chanted anti-Israel and anti-American slogans. In Columbus Circle at Union Station, protesters defaced monuments with painted slogans including "All Zionists are bastards," "Long live the resistance," and "Hamas is comin." [sic] They also pulled down the three US flags flying outside of Union Station, burned them, and put up Palestinian flags in their place.

That night, a group of Republican Congressmen, led by House Speaker Mike Johnson, replaced the American flags.

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Let's show them that the Jewish community is behind them all the way!

Please show your support by donating to the Trump-Vance campaign via the RJC PAC Portal. They will know that you are a member of the RJC and that you support their agenda of a more secure and more prosperous America, and a strong US-Israel alliance!

 

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Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Congress Eyes Fresh Sanctions on Palestinian Government, Countering White House Embrace of Hamas-Supporting PA

The Washington Free Beacon reports:

Congressional Republicans want to impose a fresh sanctions package on the Palestinian government over its ongoing financial support for imprisoned terrorists. The legislation is a counter to the White House's diplomatic embrace of the Hamas-supporting Palestinian Authority (PA), which the Biden-Harris administration hopes to install as the Gaza Strip's ruling authority once Israel's war on the terror group ends.

 

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) unveiled on Wednesday new legislation that would sanction any Palestinian official known to play a role in the government-sanctioned "pay-to-slay" program, which provides thousands of imprisoned terrorists and their families with upwards of $16 million a month. The legislation is already backed by 12 GOP senators, and a companion version is being led in the House by Reps. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) and Mike Lawler (R-NY), according to a copy of the bill obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.

 

Republicans have been eager to cut off American aid to the Palestinian government due to its support for Hamas’s Oct. 7 terror attack and pledge to financially support virtually all of the jihadi fighters captured by Israel on the battlefield. The PA is currently spending more than $16 million a month on the pay-to-slay program, even as the West-Bank-based government teeters on the brink of economic collapse.

Read more about this important legislation here.

Biden Passes the Torch – To the Left

President Joe Biden called his decision to step down from his reelection bid "passing the torch to a new generation." All he's really doing is passing the torch to an even more left-wing, less qualified Democrat, Vice President Kamala Harris.

 

Fox News reports on the RJC's view - Top Jewish group fears a Harris presidency would be 'far worse' amid rising antisemitism:

A leader from the Republican Jewish Coalition, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit that works to lobby for conservative interests, has said that if Harris is elected, he expects her to follow in President Biden's footsteps regarding Israel moving forward.

 

"If you thought Joe Biden was bad on issues of top concern for pro-Israel voters, Kamala Harris is far worse," Sam Markstein, RJC national political director, told Fox News Digital in a statement.

 

"It took her a full day to issue a weak condemnation of the pro-Hamas mobs that burned American flags and chanted vile antisemitic slogans at Jews in Washington, DC– with zero mention of any concrete action she would take to hold them accountable. It should be easy to condemn antisemitism – the real question is what she will do to confront it, and her statement speaks for itself," Markstein added. "Clearly, her priorities are not our priorities – and if elected, we can expect more of the same."

 

… "Kamala Harris and the Democrats will reap what they’ve sowed in this election – from undermining the US-Israel relationship to unprecedented lows and overseeing a spike in antisemitism to record high," Markstein said. "The Jewish community is more energized than ever to help elect Donald J. Trump as the 47th President of the United States to restore law and order to our cities and colleges so that American Jews can walk the streets and campuses without fear. November 5, 2024 cannot come soon enough."

Jewish Group Condemns Minnesota GOP-Endorsed Candidate, Endorses Opponent

In an unusual move, the Republican Jewish Coalition has endorsed a Republican primary candidate for Senate in Minnesota who was not the choice of the state party.

 

The Rochester, MN Post Bulletin reports:

A Jewish lobbying group has condemned a GOP-endorsed Senate candidate and endorsed his primary opponent less than a month before Republican voters will decide who will face Sen. Amy Klobuchar in November.

 

…The [Republican Jewish Coalition] endorsed Joe Fraser, a Navy veteran and businessman, who is running against Royce White, a former professional basketball player and right-wing podcaster.

 

… White's endorsement [by the Minnesota GOP] was a "serious mistake," said Sam Markstein, RJC's communications director, who said that Minnesotans could be proud of Fraser as a senator "as opposed to Royce White, who would be a constant source of national embarrassment, not just for Minnesota, but for the Republican Party."

 

"White is also an eager promoter of antisemitic conspiracy theories and an avid defender of egregious antisemites, including Stew Peters, Louis Farrakhan and Kanye West," the statement from the Republican Jewish Coalition said.

The paper goes on to quote RJC-endorsed candidate Joe Fraser:

"As the grandson of a man who fought in Europe during World War II and of another who fled Nazi oppression in Germany, I grow more concerned by the day of the mounting hatred facing our Jewish friends," Fraser said. "While those in our party, including my opponent choose to parrot antisemitic rhetoric embraced by Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, I'm committed to being a strong partner to Israel and Jewish Americans here at home."

Read our full statement of support for Joe Fraser here.

 

You can support Joe Fraser for Senate here.

Make a Difference in 2024 as an RJC Volunteer!

The RJC needs YOU to help us reach Jewish voters in battleground states!

There are opportunities for phone banking remotely and door knocking in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, and other key states.

 

Every voter contact is important! Help us reach more people!

 

Click the link below to sign up and let us know how you'd like to help RJC make a difference this year!

Click Here to Sign Up!

Click Here to Help Civilians and Soldiers in Israel

Short Takes

Savodnik: Gaslighting the public on Kamala Harris as ‘border czar’

Peter Savodnik looks at how the media is using Orwellian tactics to revise history. Everyone knows that President Joe Biden tapped Vice President Kamala Harris to be his "border czar" and fix the immigration crisis. Since Harris has become the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, that embarrassing past has to go away. Media outlets are scrubbing their archives and pundits are insisting that she was never the border czar. The Media Research Center has a montage of "before" and "after" soundbites.

Bryen and Bryen: Attacks have consequences: Israel responds to Yemen

Stephen and Shoshana Bryen consider the successful Israeli attack on a Yemeni port operated by Houthi terrorists, the same group that recently sent a drone strike into Tel Aviv that hit an apartment building located just 1,000 feet from the US consulate. Unfortunately, the US policy of appeasement has eroded deterrence and caused death and destruction at the hands of another Iranian client.

Algemeiner: Candace Owens No Longer Headlining Trump Campaign Fundraiser After Backlash Over Holocaust Comments

Political commentator Candace Owens is no longer headlining an upcoming fundraiser for former US President Donald Trump’s campaign after her inclusion generated backlash due to her recent controversial comments on Israel and the Holocaust, which many observers say crossed the line into antisemitism.

 

Owens, a prominent right-wing provocateur and media personality, was originally listed as one of four headliners for the event later this week sponsored by the Trump campaign and a cryptocurrency firm. Donald Trump Jr., the son of the former president and current 2024 Republican presidential nominee, was also planning on attending.

 

…However, soon after the backlash, Jewish Insider reported that Owens was removed from the poster and no longer attending the event in Nashville, Tennessee on Friday following fierce backlash from conservative critics and Jewish allies of Trump.

 

… [OAN reporter] Stella Escobedo posted that she could confirm that Owens was off the panel for this week. “I’m told it was a group of Bitcoin guys, not politicians who organized the event and didn’t know about her Jew hatred,” she tweeted. “I’m told Don Jr. was invited to the event prior to Candace being added to panel. Zero tolerance for antisemitism.”

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Events

5

Aug

MN: Meet & Greet with Joe Fraser

Meet the RJC's endorsee for US Senator from Minnesota.

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19

Aug

PA: Meet & Greet with David J. Winkler

Join us to meet the GOP Congressional candidate for PA-4

RSVP

 

 

We are so excited that "The Great One," Mark Levin, will join us for the RJC Leadership Summit in September, along with great speakers, including: Sen. Tom Cotton, Sen. Steve Daines, Sen. Joni Ernst, Gov. Brian Kemp, Rep. David Kustoff, Rep. Max Miller, Sen. Rick Scott, and Rep. Elise Stefanik. More speaker announcements coming soon!

We hope to see you there!

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.

Republican Jewish Coalition
50 F Street, N.W., Suite 100 | Washington, DC 20001
202.638.6688 | [email protected]