Washington, DC (January 8, 2015) – The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), the nation’s only grassroots organization of Jewish Republicans, announced the hiring of Mark McNulty as Communications Director.

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Washington, D.C. (January 7, 2015) - The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) responded to the release of a new Gallup Poll on Jewish American partisan affiliations. The poll shows the continued trend of growth in Republican support among Jewish voters.

Jewish support for Democrats dropped by 10% between 2008 and 2014. The Gallup Poll found that 29% of Jews identify as Republicans, up from 22% in 2008.

RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said:

“This poll reinforces what we have seen at the voting booth, the GOP continues to make inroads with Jewish voters. Republicans have gained support in the Jewish community in 5 of the last 6 national elections. The RJC has worked over past election cycles to increase Jewish support for Republicans, helping Mitt Romney get 31% of the Jewish vote up from 22% in 2008. We are encouraged by the trend and the continued inroads the GOP is making with the Jewish community.”

 

Washington, D.C. (December 17, 2014) – The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) is happy to know that Alan Gross has been released and is back on American soil after five years of imprisonment in Cuba. On the first day of Hanukkah, Alan Gross was granted light, freedom, and the long-awaited reunion with his family. The RJC joins the entire Jewish community in celebrating his redemption.

Our relief that his long ordeal is over is tempered by our deep concern about President Obama’s decision to begin normalizing relations with the totalitarian government of Cuba. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ) has said that, “President Obama’s actions have vindicated the brutal behavior of the Cuban government.” The people of Cuba are still in prison – many literally so. American steps to open diplomatic and trade relations with Cuba while the government continues to oppress its own people and to support terrorism around the world is unwise. We call on Congress will look into this matter when they reconvene.

Washington, D.C. (November 20, 2014) – The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) responded to President Obama’s announcement of his administrative order making substantive changes in U.S. immigration policy. RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said:

“RJC members hold a variety of views on whether and how immigration policy should be changed. Nevertheless, we are united in strong concern that President Obama has exceeded his legitimate authority by making such far-reaching changes unilaterally and in defiance of the constitutionally designated law-making organ of our government – the Congress.

“Although this concern unites Republicans, it should not be characterized as merely partisan. In fact, qualms have been voiced about the appropriateness of the President’s action by observers who share his general outlook and his specific immigration policy aims: the editors of the Washington Post¹, National Journal columnist Ron Fournier², and MSNBC commentator Lawrence O’Donnell³.

“We hope others who are inclined to welcome the results of the President’s action will consider the arguments these allies of theirs have made about its broader negative ramifications.

“This action by the President sets a belligerent tone for the last two years of his presidency. When Congress rightly resists the President’s diminishment of its constitutional prerogatives, the President will have only himself to blame.”

Sources:
(1) http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/as-mr-obama-agrees-acting-alone-is-not-how-our-democracy-functions/2014/11/17/205916d0-6e82-11e4-ad12-3734c461eab6_story.html

(2) http://insider.foxnews.com/2014/08/07/fournier-if-obama-grants-amnesty-it-would-be-nuclear-bomb

(3) http://www.mediaite.com/tv/odonnell-dems-wont-tell-me-legality-of-obama-immigration-action/

Washington, D.C. (November 10, 2014) — The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), the nation’s only grassroots organization of Jewish Republicans, announced the opening of a Midwest regional office in Chicago and the hiring of Jeremy Wynes as Midwest Regional Director.

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Washington, D.C. (November 5, 2014) -- The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) offers our warmest congratulations to the Jewish Republicans who won their races yesterday in the important election of 2014.

We are especially delighted that Lee Zeldin won his congressional race in New York’s first district, making him the Jewish Republican in the 114th U.S. Congress.

We are also pleased that the Jewish Republicans in state offices around the country won their reelections. Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens, Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel, South Dakota State Senator Dan Lederman, Texas State Representative and House Speaker Joe Straus and Texas State Representative Craig Goldman all won reelection. Congratulations to them all. And congratulations to Dan Schwartz, the incoming Nevada state treasurer.

We are very proud of our members and friends who made the choice to serve, took on tough opponents, and won the day. We thank them for their service, offer them our continued support, and wish them success going forward.

If you know of other Jewish Republicans who won elections this year, please let us know! Contact Shari Hillman by email or at 202-638-6688.

Washington, D.C. (November 5, 2014) -- The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) today released the following statement:

A key component of the Republican Jewish Coalition's 2014 strategy was to block and blunt the unprecedented mobilization of resources by J Street to impact swing House and Senate races.

In those swing elections where both RJC-supported and J Street-supported candidates faced off, the RJC-supported candidates resoundingly defeated the J Street candidates in 61% of the contests already decided.

Three races are not yet decided, but two lean Republican. Taking those into account, the RJC candidates will have won in 72% of the contests.

That is a strong repudiation of J Street, its endorsements, and its message.

According to RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks:

"This election cycle included races in which support for Israel was a significant issue. Given the increased tensions between the Obama administration and Israel, these races took on even greater importance. J Street, a leading voice in support of President Obama's pressure tactics on Israel, drew a line in the sand and made a concerted effort to elect like-minded candidates to Congress.

"The RJC was committed to pushing back and helping the true pro-Israel candidates win election this year. The RJC PAC and RJC leaders raised and contributed millions of dollars in this effort.

"The RJC will continue to support true pro-Israel candidates in the future and, in particular, will focus its efforts to ensure that candidates supported by J Street do not have electoral success, so that the strong bipartisan support that Israel has enjoyed in the U.S. Congress is not eroded."

Results:

Race	RJC candidate	J Street candidate	Winner
CO-Senate	Cory Gardner	Mark Udall	RJC
GA-Senate	David Perdue	Michelle Nunn	RJC
IA-Senate	Joni Ernst	Bruce Braley	RJC
ME-Senate	Susan Collins	Shenna Bellows	RJC
NH-Senate	Scott Brown	Jeanne Shaheen	J Street
CA-7	Doug Ose	Ami Bera	GOP leaning
CA-52	Carl DeMaio	Scott Peters	GOP leaning
CT-5	Mark Greenberg	Elizabeth Esty	J Street
FL-2	Steve Southerland	Gwen Graham	J Street
FL-26	Carlos Curbelo	Joe Garcia	RJC
IA-3	David Young	Staci Appel	RJC
IL-12	Mike Bost	Bill Enyart	RJC
NH-1	Frank Guinta	Carol Shea-Porter	RJC
NH-2	Marilinda Garcia	Annie Kuster	J Street
NY-18	Nan Hayworth	Sean Maloney	Democrat leaning
NY-21	Elise Stefanik	Aaron Woolf	RJC
NY-23	Tom Reed	Martha Robertson	RJC
WV-3	Evan Jenkins	Nick Rahall	RJC

Washington, D.C. (November 5, 2014) -- Exit polls from last night show that Republicans are getting increasing support among Jewish voters, while the Jewish community’s support for Democrats continues to erode.

The exit polls show that 33% of Jewish voters gave their support to Republicans, with 65% going to Democrats. That marks a 30-year low for Democrats.

RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said:

“This year the GOP got 33% of the Jewish vote nationally. This confirms, yet again, the unmistakable trend of increasing Jewish support for Republicans.

“Since 1982, the historical average for the GOP in mid-term elections among Jewish voters has been 26%. The range has a low of 18% in 1982 and a high of 33% this year. In each of the last two midterm elections, Republicans got more than 30% of the Jewish vote.

“That trend has also been apparent in the Jewish support for Republican candidates in presidential races. From 1992 to 2012, the Jewish vote for GOP presidential candidates has risen steadily (with a small dip in 2008) from 11% to 32%.

“We are encouraged by the Republicans' strong showing again this year and by the continued inroads the GOP is making in the Jewish community.”

Washington, D.C. (November 4, 2014) -- The RJC applauds the Republicans who won today, taking back the majority in the U.S. Senate and expanding the GOP's majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. The results today demonstrate clearly that the American people rejected Pres. Obama's failed policies and chose a new direction forward for our country.

The Republican-led 114th Congress will offer alternatives to the policies of the Obama administration and pursue critical priorities, including enhanced sanctions to prevent a nuclear Iran, economic reforms that will encourage job creation and put us back on a path of growth and prosperity for American families, as well as standing up to the undisguised hostility of the Obama administration against Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu and rebuilding our essential relationship with Israel.

We are at a pivotal moment, both domestically and internationally. The President's low job approval ratings, coupled with the voters' repudiation of Democrats and their policies across the country in this election, signal that the country is looking for leadership -- and the Republican-led Congress will provide it.

The Republican Jewish Coalition played an important role in today's victory. Our members contributed and raised millions of dollars for campaigns around the country. The RJC PAC made significant contributions to critical races. And our grassroots events energized our members to participate in get-out-the-vote efforts. We are proud of the terrific men and women of the RJC who helped make a difference for the GOP in this important election year.

Washington, D.C. (October 28, 2014) -- The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) responded to a spate of troubling expressions of hostility toward Israel coming from the Obama administration in recent days. RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said:

"Last week, the Obama administration went out of its way to 'humiliate' a top Israeli official in retaliation for private remarks for which that official had publicly apologized. Yesterday, the State Department accused the Netanyahu government of lacking a commitment to peace because it had the temerity to authorize housing construction in the capital of Israel. And today, top aides to the president attacked Israel's Prime Minister in coarse, insulting language from behind the veil of anonymity.

"Americans expect their commander-in-chief to keep faith with critical allies in perilous times. This administration is dangerously off-course and its apparent determination to provoke a crisis in US-Israel relations is the latest disastrous evidence.

"We urge pro-Israel Americans to register their reservations about President Obama's naïve and petty foreign policy next week by supporting Republican candidates and electing a Congress that will stand up to him."

Sources:
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.622632

http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/US-says-Israeli-housing-action-incompatible-with-peace-379977

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/10/the-crisis-in-us-israel-relations-is-officially-here/382031/