Vance to Address Republican Jewish Coalition Amid Israel and Antisemitism Tensions

POLICY WIRE — Las Vegas, USA — Vice President JD Vance is slated to deliver a speech at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual conference on Monday. This event provides him a platform to address the apprehensions of conservative Jewish activists regarding his stance on Israel and his association with contentious figures such as Tucker Carlson.

The event, which will be closed to the media, occurs during a highly sensitive period for Jewish Americans and the U.S.-Israel relationship. The issue of antisemitism has become a significant concern across the political landscape, particularly as the midterm elections approach. Republicans aim to depict Democrats as antagonistic towards Jews and Israel, yet they face their own internal divisions.

Last month, Vance implied that certain Israeli officials have attempted to sway U.S. public opinion to extend the conflict with Iran. Additionally, there is ongoing unease about Vance’s reluctance to distance himself from Carlson, a conservative commentator who engaged in a friendly conversation with the antisemite Nick Fuentes last year.

there is a feeling of unease about the vice president’s speech. Some are disappointed, remarked Terry Platt, a Republican Jewish Coalition member from New York. We’re uncertain about his true feelings.

Vance is widely seen as a leading contender for the Republican nomination to succeed President Donald Trump in 2028. Although he has voiced support for Israel, he is perceived as more ambiguous or skeptical towards the long-standing ally compared to Trump.

In June, Vance strongly criticized members of the Israeli government for opposing Trump’s attempts to resolve the war with Iran. If I were in the Israeli government’s cabinet, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally I have left in the entire world, he stated.

Then in July, Vance accused elements within the Israeli government of attempting to influence American sentiment to obstruct negotiations. There are individuals within their system who are undoubtedly manipulating and trying to alter American public opinion to perpetuate the war indefinitely, he told podcaster Joe Rogan.

Support for Israel has diminished in the United States, with a more pronounced decline among Democrats. According to an AP-NORC poll released in July, approximately half of Democrats believe that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians, a claim vehemently denied by Israel and the U.S. government.

Republicans are more inclined to support Israel, but there is a generational gap, with younger Republicans more likely than older ones to assert that the U.S. is overly supportive of Israel.

This division has been unsettling for some influential Jewish conservatives, who have utilized the annual Republican Jewish Coalition summits to combat antisemitism. We need a nation where elected officials stand proudly with the Jewish community, U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan declared on Sunday. That is the mission, and it starts right here.

A year ago, the coalition’s annual summit was intended to celebrate the Trump administration’s efforts to secure the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza since the war’s onset. Instead, it transformed into a prolonged condemnation of antisemitism within conservative circles, triggered by the Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts’ refusal to dissociate the think tank from Carlson after he hosted Fuentes on his show.

At one point during the summit, college students brandished red signs reading, “Tucker is not MAGA.”

Bruce Pearl, the former Auburn University men’s basketball coach who has become a prominent pro-Israel conservative, previously indicated that Vance would need to repudiate Carlson to gain his support. If he maintains that connection to that antisemite, I believe it will be detrimental to antisemitism, as he will attract more Tucker Carlsons. He will elevate them, Pearl stated in June.

Pearl is expected to address the group in Las Vegas on Monday.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)