Naming the Jew

The Republican Jewish Coalition’s 40th Anniversary Leadership Summit at the Venetian in Las Vegas last weekend should have been a confident celebration. As Donald Trump, the most pro-Israel president in the nation’s history, addressed the attendees by video from the White House, his administration wages legal and regulatory war on colleges and universities that failed to protect Jewish students and faculty from antisemitic mobs on campuses. In Israel, Hamas’ living hostages have been returned to their families, and the IDF and Mossad have either neutralized or substantially degraded enemies in Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and Yemen. A 12-day war over the skies of Iran saw the first real joint American-Israel mission, and an unprecedented level of military cooperation. Despite all that, however, the event—and the whole organization—seemed unsuited for this unique and uncomfortable moment for American Jews.

For four decades, the RJC has served as the GOP’s institutional bridge to Jewish donors and pro-Israel voters. It was built in the last years of the Cold War to push back against “Blame America” Democrats of 1984 and the external threats they exacerbated or ignored. About 500 attendees, mostly Boomers and dedicated Fox News loyalists filled the ballroom. They cheered every mention of Donald Trump, and booed for Zohran Mamdani.

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