Earlier this week, Vice President and 2028 Republican frontrunner JD Vance spoke at the annual gathering of the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), hoping to assuage the concerns of a growing number of Jewish conservatives on the question of Israel and rising “antisemitism.” In the closed-door and off-the-record speech, which was subsequently leaked, Vance re-affirmed his commitment to the “US-Israel Alliance.”
“We love you guys … you will very much always be on the [Republican] team so long as I have any say in it,” Vance said, speaking on behalf of himself and the entire Trump administration, reassuring Jewish Americans and the RJC specifically.
For many Americans, the influence of the RJC and its lobbying is not appreciated — or even known. Historically, it has been described as a “big money pro-Israel lobby group.” In 2024, the RJC received a $5 million donation from Miriam Adelson, an Israeli citizen who is the widow of the late casino magnate and Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson.
At this year’s event, the chairman of the Jewish activist group, former Senator Norm Coleman, touted their influence, proudly declaring “We played the lead role in taking out [Republican] Congressman Thomas Massie!”
In addition to Vance, Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy spoke a day earlier. Ramaswamy has deep ties to Jewish donors and causes, having spent every Friday night in law school at Yale attending Shabbos dinners.
In his remarks, Ramaswamy recounted a recent conversation with Cleveland rabbis who thanked him for “standing up for Israel,” claiming that what he was really doing was “standing up for America!”
GOP civil war centers on Vance, Carlson relationship
The Dispatch
What was most interesting in the course of the entire RJC is not what happened, but rather what actually what did not occur — a denunciation of Tucker Carlson, America’s most prominent conservative who has recently become a critic of Israel.
For many Jewish Republican leaders and influencers, Vance’s refusal to distance himself from Carlson was an intolerable omission as they expected a full denunciation.
Representative of this faction of Jewish influencers was Mark Levin, who on X deplored that Vance refused to say “I will not tolerate those who say antisemitic things … [which] includes Tucker Carlson and his ilk.”
Others, like Sid Rosenberg, an outspoken Jewish activist and member of the “U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council,” criticized Vance for “[not] being strong enough on Israel” but still urged his followers to “Give Vance a Chance.”
Ari Fleischer, a board member of the AJC, was more optimistic: “I think the vice president really answered a lot of questions, and really made the Republican Jewish Coalition really comfortable.”
While Vance has a solid track record when it comes to supporting Israel and Jewish interests, it still is not enough for the Israel lobby and their most aggressive champions. Readers may recall that in December of 2025, Vance, a Catholic, hosted and actively partook in a Hannukah party at his VP residence. Bowing his head during the Menorah lighting ceremony, he listened as Chabad Rabbi Levi Shemtov chanted in Hebrew. Vance also has been quietly been allying himself with prominent Jewish donors.
With the 2028 presidential election fact approaching, the on-going civil war will almost assuredly become more intense. GOP South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley bluntly outlined, correctly, the battle lines in an X post: “You are either with the Tucker Carlson wing of the country or you are with the pro Israel wing of the country. You can’t be both.”
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