A series of speeches by Republican presidential candidates to a large gathering of Jewish donors and activists on Saturday highlighted how the escalating conflict in the Middle East has made foreign policy a key issue in the campaign, and how the primary campaign is shaping up. It showed how the new divisions were exposed.
Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley attacked former President Donald J. Trump as “confused” about the threats facing the United States and Israel. Trump promised to fight “jihadists, terrorists and Marxists” abroad and at home. And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis denounced a “false moral equivalency” between Hamas and the deaths of Israelis.
The remarks to the Republican Jewish Coalition were made at a sprawling convention center at the Venetian in Las Vegas at a critical time in the run-up to the primary election, as Israel expands its ground operations in Gaza. With Trump leading in the polls by a wide margin, time is running out for his challengers to prove themselves. And Ms. Haley and her other rivals see new opportunities in her clumsy response to attacks in Ukraine and Israel that threaten to escalate into broader regional conflicts.
In his final speech, Trump ignored the other candidates during his remarks and focused squarely on attacking President Biden as weak, while claiming that the world would be safer if President Biden was still in the White House. He argued that it would be.
“If I were president, the attack on Israel would never have happened,” he told the 1,500 attendees packed into the ballroom. “I think you believe it. Ukraine would never have happened. Inflation would never have happened.”
Mr. Trump struck the most militaristic tone of the speakers, warning attendees of the threat posed by the arrival of “a lot of young, powerful people” who are “the same people who attacked Israel.” And he has been accused of using anti-Semitic tropes for political gain, as well as Hungary’s Viktor, a neo-authoritarian leader respected by far-right nationalists in the United States and Europe. He praised Prime Minister Orban.
In his remarks, Mr. Trump presented himself as a “very strong man,” a position similar to that of Mr. Orban, who has pledged to protect the country’s security through the threat of force.
“If you shed a drop of American blood, we’ll shed a gallon of yours,” he said, arguing that the world has become less safe under Biden’s leadership. “I will defend America and Western civilization from the barbarians, savages, and fascists who seek to harm our beautiful Israel.”
Trump did not comment on the withdrawal of former Vice President Mike Pence, who had announced he was ending his presidential bid before taking the stage. In his final speech on the campaign trail, Pence warned his party against adopting an isolationist foreign policy like that advocated by Vivek Ramaswamy, who preceded him on stage.
The Republican Jewish Federation’s annual meeting was perhaps the most high-profile rally of the fall Republican primary season, with added urgency following Hamas’ attack on Israel three weeks ago. Last week, the organization was added as a sponsor of the third Republican debate, which highlighted how Israel brought together a broad coalition of party voters and officials, including foreign policy hawks, business leaders, and evangelical Christians. It reflects what was done.
It’s also an uplifting moment for Republican officials. In a last-minute policy change, the event was rescheduled to coincide with the first national convention appearance of newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is scheduled to address the group Saturday night.
Haley used her speech to launch one of the most scathing attacks of the 2024 primary, questioning Trump’s ability to manage the country’s foreign affairs as it faces multiple military entanglements overseas. did. She highlighted the former president’s comments days after the attack in which he criticized Israeli intelligence and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as weak.
“As president, I am not going to praise Hezbollah. Nor am I going to criticize the prime minister of Israel, who is in the midst of tragedy and war. We have no time for personal vendettas.” She spoke to a crowd of donors, activists and officials. “With all due respect, I’m not confused.”
Haley is known for her staunch support of Israel as President Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, and has risen in the polls after strong performances in two debates.
“Eight years ago, it would have been nice to have a leader who would break things down. But now we need a leader who knows how to put things back together,” she said. “America needs a captain who will steady the ship, not capsize it. And the Republican Party needs a candidate who can actually win.”
All eight candidates in attendance expressed strong support for Israel, pledging to support military operations and combat the growing threat of anti-Semitism in the country, particularly on college campuses.
Of all the candidates, only Ramaswamy was worthy of support, suggesting that he was less willing to provide military aid to the Israelis in the escalating conflict. The entrepreneur and author, set to the music of observant Jewish hip-hop artist Matisyahu, recited passages from Jewish prayers in Hebrew, and peppered with quotes from Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion. I used quotes to try to capture the attention of my audience. .
In a speech that meandered through modern Israeli military history, Ramaswamy sought to revise his isolationist stance to support Israel’s right to self-defense.
“If Israel wants to destroy Hamas, it should go ahead and destroy Hamas,” he said. “But these are decisions that Israel makes, not America. I’m not running for president of Israel. I’m running for president of the United States.”
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who has been Trump’s main opponent on the campaign trail for months, took a darker tone, saying, “These are too serious times to be trivial.” I made a statement.
Mr. Christie and Mr. Ramaswamy were the only candidates whose speeches were met with vociferous boos, albeit from different corners of the audience. Mr. Christie has been a target of Trump supporters, and Mr. Ramaswamy has been widely criticized for his reluctance to give a speech. provide military support;
Trump is beloved and a crowd favorite for his accomplishments on Israel as president, including moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and signing the Abraham Accords, an agreement that normalized relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. I attended the event on Saturday. He also cut aid to the Palestinians, and his administration took steps to designate the campaign to boycott Israel as anti-Semitic.
But in the days after the attack, he criticized Israeli intelligence and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as weak, and described the Hezbollah attackers as “very smart,” prompting attacks from his rivals.
In an expression of concern and solidarity with one of America’s closest allies, Republican politicians saw a political opportunity in the divisions created within the country by the conflict.
Several of Saturday’s speakers disparaged progressive Democrats, particularly Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, drawing loud boos from the audience when they mentioned their names. Some spoke of tensions on university campuses, where students have clashed over the war.
“Progressives say it’s all about the safety and feelings of minorities, oppressed and marginalized people,” said South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott. “But when it comes to Jewish Americans who are being hurt, they are silent.”