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This Week:

• RJC Summit Breaks Records, Makes News
• Fighting Antisemitism on the Right
• RJC in the News
• Mamdani Win is a "Dark Day" for NYC
• Short Takes
• Week's Best Tweets

RJC Summit Breaks Records, Makes News

Our annual national Leadership Summit in Las Vegas was a big event in every way: more speakers, more attendees, more media attention, and more impact than ever before.

It's hard to convey the tremendous warmth and solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people expressed by the top leadership of the Republican Party at our event. Our speakers included:

President Donald J. Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Senator Ted Cruz, Senator Dave McCormick, Senator Rick Scott, Senator Lindsey Graham, Chairwoman Lisa McClain, Chairman Jason Smith, Congressman Randy Fine, Congressman Mike Lawler, Congressman Brian Jack, Congressman David Kustoff, North Carolina Senate Candidate Michael Whatley, and RNC Chairman Joe Gruters.

We had the honor of hearing from key Israeli friends, including: Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon, Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter, and Minister Ron Dermer.

In addition to political leaders, we welcomed pro-Israel influencers, activists, and special friends, including:

Scott Jennings, Officer Brandon Tatum, Emily Austin, Douglas Murray, Floyd “Money” Mayweather (who received the RJC's "World Champion for Israel Award"), Rev. Johnnie Moore, Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy, Siggy Flicker, Stella Escobedo, Shabbos Kestenbaum, Mark Levin, Frank Luntz, Sid Rosenberg, Secure Community Network CEO Michael Masters, JNS CEO Alex Traiman, Joel Pollak, and Five for Fighting's John Ondrasik, who spoke and also gave a musical performance.

We had the opportunity to honor several outstanding people. Elan Carr presented the Charlie Kirk Freedom Award to the Alevy Family and we presented the Defender of Freedom and Security Award by the Mizel Foundation to Itay Sagy.

The RJC also celebrated our 40th anniversary with tribute remarks from RJC founders, chairmen, and staff who helped make the RJC what it is today: the preeminent Jewish Republican organization in the US. See the celebration video here.

What makes the RJC unique is that we are effective in raising money, in delivering votes, and in speaking out on the issues from a principled, Republican, pro-Israel perspective that is unmatched. All of this is possible thanks to the generosity and commitment of our leaders and members. Thank you!

See all the speakers from the Summit here.

Fighting Antisemitism on the Right

The Associated Press report on the RJC Leadership Summit accurately reflects what happened. It was titled, "Republican Jewish leaders planned a ceasefire celebration, pivoted to take on antisemitism within":

Concerns that antisemitism is on the rise among Republicans burst to the surface this weekend, turning a conference of the nation’s leading Jewish Republicans from jubilation over a tenuous ceasefire in the Middle East into a clarion call to stem the spread of anti-Jewish voices within the party.

… "We are at this point in what I consider sort of the early stages of an undeclared civil war within the Republican Party, as it relates to Israel, and antisemitism and the Jewish community," Republican Jewish Coalition leader Matthew Brooks said in an interview with The Associated Press.

… Brooks and the dozens of other speakers who condemned antisemitism within the GOP from the stage before an audience of about 1,000 in the Venetian Resort ballroom in Las Vegas set an ominous tone that cut into the air of celebration many had anticipated over the October ceasefire.

Brooks had planned to fold some of his concerns into the three-day, annual conference of Republican Jewish elected officials, fundraisers, media personalities and activists. But comments made just before the meeting by Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts denying the conservative group was “distancing itself” from [Tucker] Carlson — a former Fox News host and powerful voice on the right — after his podcast hosted Nick Fuentes prompted a sudden pivot.

Sen. Ted Cruz spoke at the dinner Thursday night that began the Summit, and his remarks were a ringing condemnation of antisemitism on the right. Referring to the Carlson interview of Fuentes, Sen. Cruz said:

"If you sit there and nod adoringly while someone tells you that Winston Churchill was the villain of World War II, if you sit there and nod while someone says, 'There’s a very good argument America should’ve intervened on behalf of Nazi Germany in World War II,' if you sit there with someone who says 'Adolf Hitler was very, very cool,' and that their mission is to combat and defeat global Jewry, and you say nothing?" Cruz said. "Then you are a coward and you are complicit in that evil."

For background on Tucker Carlson's podcast guest, Nick Fuentes, and the grotesque antisemitism and racism he engages in, take the time to watch Ben Shapiro's comprehensive takedown of Fuentes, available on X.com and on YouTube.

In interview after interview and speech and after speech, the key messages from the RJC Leadership Summit were a vehement rejection of antisemitism and an unwavering support for American Jews and for the State of Israel.

RJC CEO Matt Brooks spoke about this with major media outlets, including the New York Times:

In an interview, Matt Brooks, the executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, said it was a mistake for Republicans to debate whether it was appropriate for Mr. Carlson to be "platforming" Mr. Fuentes.

"That’s a term of the left," he said. "Our issue isn’t so much that Tucker had Nick Fuentes on for an interview. Our issue is that he failed to meet the moment and ask him tough questions about why he admires Adolf Hitler, why he’s a Holocaust denier and hates Jews, why he is pro-Putin and pro-Stalin."

Mr. Brooks said it was unfortunate that the "Hitler is cool" wing of his party was gaining attention, but he noted that it was far from a new phenomenon.

Jewish Republicans in the past have combated the influence of David Duke, the former Ku Klux Klan leader who made inroads with the Republican Party in the 1990s. They stood up to Pat Buchanan, the former Republican presidential candidate who advanced antisemitic ideology.

RJC Board member and former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer pointed out the contrast between how the right and the left deal with the antisemitism at their radical fringes:

"Republicans have a cold, the Democrats have a fever, and the Republicans are fighting the cold," Fleischer said. "Democrats aren’t fighting their fever."

"We’re not afraid to call it out, because you have to call it out from a moral point of view, from a Jewish point of view, and I think that’s why [antisemitism is] so small inside the Republican Party," he said.

RJC in the News

Jewish Insider: RJC kicks off 40th anniversary summit amid GOP’s antisemitism reckoning

The Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual leadership summit kicks off tonight at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas with much to celebrate.

…The RJC, which was established in 1985, is also celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and the proceedings will feature "content about where we came from and where we are today," said Sam Markstein, the group’s national political director.

"It’s come a long way from its humble beginnings," Markstein told Jewish Insider in an interview on Thursday.

Hanging over the three-day conference, however, is the specter of rising antisemitism on the party’s far right, an issue that Markstein said the RJC does not intend to avoid...

Jerusalem Post editorial: Republican Jewish Coalition faces leadership test on Israel’s fate at Las Vegas summit

...What changed inside the Republican Party is clearer still. During the past decade, the GOP moved from being reliably pro-Israel to staking out signature policies that reset the regional map.

The embassy move to Jerusalem, promised for years by both parties and finally implemented in 2018, and the Abraham Accords, which opened formal ties with the UAE, Bahrain, and later Morocco and Sudan, were consequential acts that reshaped expectations. They anchored a worldview in which US-Israel alignment is explicit, and Arab-Israeli normalization is a practical project rather than a slogan.

The RJC’s role has grown in parallel with it. It is no longer a boutique voice; it has become an organizing machine with a national reach and substantial funding.

In 2024, it raised and spent more than $15 million to mobilize Jewish voters in key states, pairing micro-targeting with a relentless ground game. That capacity means the RJC does not just cheer from the sidelines; it shapes candidate incentives and legislative priorities...

Las Vegas Review-Journal: President Trump, House Speaker Johnson, others address Las Vegas meeting of Jewish Republicans

Addressing a Republican Jewish Coalition gathering in Las Vegas, House Speaker Mike Johnson declared that "peace is on the way to Israel and the hostages are home."

Originally scheduled to appear in person, Johnson instead joined the annual Leadership Summit on Saturday morning at The Venetian through a live video feed.

He said he had to keep his Washington, DC, post as the government shutdown entered its second month.

Likewise, President Donald Trump recorded a video broadcast to the gathering in which he touted his 2024 election victory, and his administration’s foreign and domestic policies.

"Very importantly, the RJC ensured that we won the highest percentage of the Jewish vote of any Republican since 1988," he said.

...[Speaker Johnson] credited the Republican Jewish Coalition with helping the party win the White House and Congress.

"It’s never been more important — as we all know — than it is right now for us to stand together arm and arm and it’s my great honor and blessing to do so," Johnson told the group.

RJC Political Director Sam Markstein on Newsmax

Sam Markstein on TBN's Erick Stakelbeck show

Mamdani Win is a "Dark Day" for NYC

Newsmax reports on the RJC's response to Zohran Mamdani winning the New York City mayoral election this week:

The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) sharply condemned Zohran Mamdani's historic victory in the New York City mayoral election, calling the result a "dark day for the City of New York" and accusing Democrats of empowering "the radical leftwing fringe."

…"It's official. Zohran Mamdani is the face of the Democratic Party now," the RJC, which represents tens of thousands of Jewish Republicans, said in a statement.

"Democratic 'leaders', including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Governor Kathy Hochul, have handed their party over to what was once the radical leftwing fringe," it read.

…"While Republicans loudly condemn antisemitism, Democrats have shamefully endorsed and elected an antisemite to run the largest city in America with the largest number of Jews in the country."

The statement noted Mamdani's well-documented anti-Israel and anti-capitalist views.

"In Zohran Mamdani, New Yorkers will now have a mayor who will ruin their economy, their education system, and their transportation system with communist fantasy policies," the RJC said.

"They will have a mayor who took money from terror-supporting Islamist organizations for his campaign, who is virulently anti-capitalism, anti-police, and anti-Israel, and who will not lift a finger to protect Jewish New Yorkers from the 'globalize the intifada' crowd."

The group concluded with a grim assessment of what Mamdani's victory symbolizes for Democrats:

"This is a dark day for the City of New York, and the Democrats own all of it."

Read our full statement here.

Tevi Troy writes at the Wall Street Journal about his decision to hide his Jewish identity while in Mamdani's New York:

In anticipation of Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York mayoral race, I acquired a newsboy-style cap to wear in New York City.

For most of my adult life, I have worn a kippa, an indication of being an Orthodox Jew. I wear it wherever I go, good neighborhoods and bad, on the subway and at the park.

The vast majority of people have no reaction, which is as it should be… In recent years, though, I’ve noticed more negative reactions, often from people shouting “Free Palestine!”

…My fear is that Mayor Mamdani['s] antipathy to Israel, and his tacit support for “globalizing the intifada,” may send a signal to the New York City Police Department that protecting Jews won’t be a priority for the city. That in turn could send another signal to people on the streets of New York—that it is open season on Jews.

There’s nothing I can do about any of that now. The voters have spoken. But I can make sure that I’m more careful on my regular trips to the Big Apple. If you see me walking around in Zohran Mamdani’s New York, I’ll be wearing my hat.

Join the Celebration! RJC at 40

From our start in 1985 to today, the RJC has been a unique, outspoken, and trusted voice for Jewish Republicans, bringing our message to Republican decision makers and the broader Jewish community.

Please consider making a gift to the RJC today in honor of our 40 years of growth and success.

We need your support to keep moving forward!

Thank you!

Short Takes

Return of Omer Neutra and Itay Chen to Israel

Israeli authorities confirmed the return of the bodies of the last two American hostages in Gaza, Omer Neutra (whose parents addressed the 2024 RJC Leadership Summit), and Itay Chen.

Omer Neutra was born and raised in the United States and immigrated to Israel as a lone soldier. He served as a tank platoon commander in Battalion 77, Sa’ar Golan Division and was killed defending communities in southern Israel near the Gaza border on Oct. 7. His body was abducted by the Hamas terrorist organization. He was 21 years old at the time of his death and leaves behind his parents, two brothers and two sisters.

On Saturday, October 7, Itay Chen, 19, was on active duty, part of a tank unit at the Nahal Oz army base that included three other soldiers. Chen was born in the US but grew up in Israel. He wasn’t supposed to be on duty that morning. He had switched weekends with another soldier in order to attend his brother's bar mitzvah the next week.

On the Passing of Vice President Dick Cheney

In his long career in public service, from Congress to the Pentagon to the White House, Dick Cheney never wavered from his core principles. He was devoted to this country, and he bent all his efforts toward keeping our nation strong, secure, and free.

Vice President Cheney had a substantial role in meeting the greatest challenges our country faced in the last 40 years, including 9/11. He understood the threats against the US and the valuable role of US allies, including Israel, in combatting them.

We honor his life-long service to our country and remember him as an American patriot and an unwavering friend of Israel and the Jewish community.

RJC's Sam Markstein Honored by MavPAC

RJC Political Director Sam Markstein was named to MavPAC's 2025 class of "Future 40". MavPAC is the top national network for conservative young professionals.

The Future40 Award recognizes conservative young professionals from across the country who embody the next generation of leadership in the public and private sectors. Previous recipients of the Future40 Award include House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (NY-21), and Representatives Kat Cammack (FL-03), Dan Crenshaw (TX-02), and Kevin Kiley (CA-03).

Powerful Momentum For RJC-Backed Holocaust Art Recovery Bill After Resounding Bipartisan Committee Approval

The RJC welcomed decisive action today by the Senate Judiciary Committee to approve the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act. The HEAR act extends and improves landmark 2016 legislation that empowers family members trying to recover artwork stolen from Jews by the Nazi regime during the Second World War.

We are grateful to the Senators from both parties who worked to produce this bipartisan result. We are grateful in particular to Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) who led the way on the original Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act and spearheaded the push to make sure the law was not just reauthorized but improved. And we are grateful to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) for a powerful statement affirming the bill as a fulfillment of American leaders' obligation to preserve historic memory and pursue justice for Holocaust victims.

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