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A Fox News exit poll found that 33% of American Jews who participated in the midterm elections voted Republican. It’s a staggering number given the recent electoral turmoil for the Republican nominee. That’s the backdrop to the recent gathering of nearly 1,000 Jewish Republicans at the recent Republican-Jewish Coalition summit in Las Vegas from November 17-20, just 10 days after the midterm elections. As an attendee, I made some observations that give hope to the sad state of political discourse.
Yes, 45-year-old Donald J. Trump.th The President of the United States addressed the rally via satellite from Mar-a-Lago. Yes, he received a standing ovation, as reported in the media. But there was more to this than meets the eye. It was an unemotional, polite and polite applause that was in line with his remarkable record on Israel, much less related to disproving and discrediting the 2020 stolen election claims. did.
I met and spoke with dozens of fellow Jews from all over the country. There was a palpable despair that the Republican Party would lose if it did not find a new path.
In contrast, attendees were greatly encouraged by how conservative governance fared in the midterm elections. The historic victory of Ron DeSantis in Florida, the re-election of Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia, the re-election of Governor Mike DeWine in Ohio, the landslide victory of Governor Chris Snoonu in New Hampshire, and many more. Look at the victory And most notably, Jewish Congressman Lee Zeldin overthrew New York’s blue state, narrowly losing a governor, but doing better than any Republican since Nelson Rockefeller 52 years ago. I have achieved excellent results.
There have been many impressive speakers and potential presidential candidates, many of whom have openly and forcefully begged to stay away from Trump and set a winning path against Biden’s record. This included former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former Vice President Mike Pence, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott. . The loudest applause and energy was taken over by his DeSantis. He won his 45% of the Jewish vote in Florida and is reported to have been in charge of Miami-Dade County.
Three Republican Republican Jewish Congress winners have spoken. Rep. David Kustoff (R-Tennessee), Rep.-Elect Max Miller (R-Ohio), former Marine, and Rep.-Elect George Santos (R-New York). Santos told the story of his family’s survival: his family fled from Ukraine to Belgium and then from the Nazis to Brazil. All had strong messages about values, family and freedom. Their focus is on the challenges facing our country, including inflation, energy security, crime and dysfunctional borders.
A few days before the conference, a disturbing attempt was made to label the RJC and its attendees as anti-Semitic. This outrageous and despicable accusation was started by his left-wing group IfNotNow.org. The group claims that “American Jews are organizing our community to end U.S. support for Israel’s apartheid system…”. Day 2! “This is from a group accusing Israel of crimes against humanity and mourning the death of Hamas terrorists.
Around the same time, MSNBC ran an article accusing Jewish Republicans of “trafficking people in subtle and subtle forms of anti-Semitism,” citing mostly Republican criticism of George Soros. did. MSNBC reporters were also annoyed by the non-Jewish candidates’ use of tropes such as double loyalty to appeal to Jews who strongly support Israel. But, as Bibi Netanyahu said in remarks to a Las Vegas audience, most Americans see Israel as sharing common values ​​and protecting our civilization from those who seek to destroy us. Israel and the United States are like family. we are together
Las Vegas Republicans realized the party had a lot of soul-searching and healing ahead of it. But it’s not a Republican idea that Americans reject. Trump ruled primarily as a conservative, but he was also a populist, opening the door for extremist views to thrive. I have increased my income in all areas. His record will suffice. I didn’t need murmurs with everyone and bitter reprisals.
The Congress of the Republican Jewish Coalition was a continuation of what I see as “grabbing.” Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie called it “time to choose” in his remarks. He called out historical notes. In 1962, when Republicans were preoccupied with the John Birch Society, Ronald Reagan adamantly rejected their philosophies, but Barry Goldwater suffered his landslide defeat in 1964. I was. Reagan began a long journey of persuading Americans of his extraordinary American values, went on to become president, and built a coalition that inspired millions of Americans.
Although an imperfect analogy, I believe the Republican Party is poised for a similar course correction. I hope Democrats are ready to search their own souls and make course corrections.Think Linda Sarsour, Ilhan Omar, Louis Farrakhan. Right or left, anti-Semitism should never be tolerated. When President Biden was asked what he would change after the midterm elections, he replied, “Nothing.”
The clarity of vision and optimism I saw in Las Vegas encourages me that the Republican Party is well on its way, but the work is far from done.
This commentary, and other commentaries in the Chronicle, do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Chronicle. We look forward to receiving your various opinions.
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Andy Palec works in commercial real estate and writes on political and foreign affairs. He is a member of the Republican Jewish Union Leadership Council and lives in Wauwatosa.
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