GOP presidential candidates tout support for Israel; Pence drops out

GOP presidential candidates expressed their staunch support for Israel and Jewish Americans on Saturday, three weeks after the largest single-day massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust.

At the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual leadership summit in Las Vegas, the biggest presidential candidates spoke to hundreds of Jewish Americans and others about their stances on the Israel-Hamas war and their visions for both foreign and domestic policies.

“We have brought together at a critical time and critical moment all of the leading presidential candidates together to show their unwavering solidarity with Israel, to send a message to the international community that America stands with Israel, and that the Republican Party stands with Israel,” said the coalition’s chief executive officer Matt Brooks during a press gaggle Saturday. “The people in Israel need to hear that message.”

‘Going to stand like a rock’

The annual summit, held at The Venetian, draws Jewish Republicans and others across the country to Las Vegas every year to hear from national leaders and political candidates about their visions for the United States. This year, people across the country listened to speakers address the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

“We’re going to stand like a rock with our friend and ally, Israel,” said the newly elected Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, who made his first public appearance as speaker at the summit.

Johnson said it was not an accident his first action as speaker was to pass the resolution in support of Israel, and that his first visit was with the Republican Jewish Coalition.

The United Nations’ General Assembly approved Oct. 27 a nonbinding resolution Friday calling for a “humanitarian truce” in Gaza between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers. This goes in the opposite direction from what many GOP politicians called for over the weekend.

“There will be a ceasefire only when Hamas ceases to be a threat to Israel,” Johnson said, receiving a lot of applause from the audience.

“Your House Republican Congress is stepping into the breach,” he said. “We are going to lead with principled leadership. We are grounded in truth, and we’re going to articulate all these things with clarity and conviction like you have not seen in a long time.”

On Friday, attendees heard from Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, who said Nevada stands unequivocally and unapologetically with Israel and the Jewish community, and from national politicians including Florida Sen. Rick Scott, Tennessee Rep. David Kustoff, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham.

The summit also came at an opportune time for presidential candidates to get before a crowd leading up to the primary and caucus season. In Nevada, the Republican presidential candidates are split in which nominating process they’re participating.

While most candidates used the event to build momentum for their campaigns, former Vice President Mike Pence announced Saturday he is suspending his presidential campaign. Pence had not paid the $55,000 fee to enter the Nevada GOP’s caucus and had signaled he had lower campaign funds than other candidates.

“To the American people, I say, this is not my time, but it’s still your time,” he told the large crowd, who gave him a standing ovation following his announcement. “I urge you to hold fast to what matters most: faith, family and the Constitution of the United States of America.”

On their records

Presidential candidates condemned the Oct. 7 attacks by the armed terrorist group Hamas, which killed 1,400 Israelis and took more than 200 people hostage, and expressed support for Israel defending itself. They opposed talks of ceasefires and protests on college campuses that they called antisemitic, and they said the United States needs to do whatever is necessary to fight antisemitism on U.S. soil.

Some, such as South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump, went so far as to say they would deport international students with visas if they participated in “pro-Jihadist” rallies.

“Come 2025, we will find you and we will deport you,” Trump said.

“We have to cut out the rot of antisemitism from our society,” Scott said. “We need cultural chemotherapy to fight this cancer.”

DeSantis said he put Florida law enforcement out “in full force” to protect Jewish institutions and sent planes to bring American citizens back from Israel. He also reiterated his call for the U.S. to not accept any refugees from Gaza.

“We got to start looking at these issues with clear eyes,” the Florida governor said. “Political correctness will end this country if we don’t stop doing it.”

Trump called himself the “best friend that Israel has ever had.”

As president, he brokered the Abraham Accords, an Arab-Israeli agreement that normalized relations between Israel and multiple Arab countries. A U.S. Embassy was opened in Jerusalem under his leadership, and he signed an executive order fighting antisemitism. If elected, Trump said he will impose sanctions on Iran, institute a travel ban and defend the United States and other Western civilizations from “barbarians and savages.”

“If you spill a drop of American blood, we will spill a gallon of yours,” he said.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley commended Trump’s accomplishments and said he has fought for both the U.S. and Israel. She added that she played a role as former U.N. ambassador in the Trump administration.

“These are not good or smart people,” she said. “Along with Iran’s ayatollah, they’re the most evil dictators in the world. And the last thing they want is an American president who knows it and called them out on it.”

While other candidates expressed support for sending U.S. military to Israel, such as Scott saying Hamas should “meet the wrath of God with some American military hardware,” candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said he does not want the United States to engage militarily and does not think it’s in the best interest of both the U.S. and Israel, a comment which did not receive overwhelming applause from the audience.

Rather, Ramaswamy said the U.S. needs to get Americans out of harm’s way, adding that he funded a 200-seat charter flight to get Americans out of Israel as well as places such as Syria and Iraq.

“If Israel wants to destroy Hamas, Israel should go ahead and destroy Hamas,” Ramaswamy said. “If Israel wants to destroy Hezbollah, Israel should go ahead and destroy Hezbollah.”

Criticizing U.S. response

Candidates and members of the RJC took to criticizing President Joe Biden’s response to the attack.

Some expressed opposition to sending $100 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza and argued Hamas will use the funds.

The humanitarian aid is being provided through U.N. agencies and nongovernmental organizations, according to the United States Agency International Development. Biden has also indicated the United States would suspend aid if Hamas seizes shipments.

During Biden’s visit to Israel, he announced he secured a commitment from the Israelis to allow humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza through a border crossing with Egypt.

DeSantis said Biden is “failing on all fronts” as president and said his response has not been sufficient. He criticized Biden for calling for a two-state solution, meaning that Israelis, Palestinians and others need to work together toward peace.

“Please explain to me, how are you supposed to have a two-state solution with people that don’t believe in your right to exist as a Jewish state? It doesn’t happen,” DeSantis said.

On Friday, multiple attendees told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that although as Republicans they can criticize Biden for many things, they thought his response has been good.

Democratic response

Margy Feldman, Nevada chapter lead of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, said Biden follows through with what he says he’s going to do.

“He has put humanity first and knows that unneeded bloodshed isn’t the answer,” Feldman said during a Democratic National Committee press call Friday ahead of the Republican Jewish Coalition’s event. “Time and time again, President Biden has proven that he will meet the moment and I know that he is the leader that we need to get through this crisis.”

Feldman accused Trump and others in the GOP field of attending the coalition to “feign support for the Jewish community.”

“Trump has consistently proven time and time again that he is far too dangerous to lead on the world stage and is no ally to the Jewish community,” Feldman said of the former president.

She referred to the former president’s pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, which she said paved the path for Iran to get closer to a nuclear bomb.

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.