LAS VEGAS \u2014 Vice President JD Vance has faced skepticism from some in the Jewish Republican community. He waded directly into the fray Monday \u2014 and was met with raucous applause.<\/p>\n

In a closed-door appearance at the Republican Jewish Coalition leadership summit, Vance addressed what he called the \u201celephant in the room\u201d: Israel\u2019s plummeting favorability among young Americans, according to one people in the room for Vance\u2019s speech, granted anonymity to describe an off-record conversation, and audio of the event obtained by Blue Light News. Vance also discussed rising antisemitism.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a growing suspicion among, I would call it, under-40s of the U.S.-Israel relationship,\u201d Vance said in a moderated conversation with former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), chair of the RJC board. \u201cI think my view is, what we have to do is articulate why this is in the best interest of the United States of America, and actually get out there and talk about the ways in which it is in the best interest of the United States of America.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vance noted that Republicans must \u201ctalk about the concrete alignment of interest and to hook a relationship on that, rather than something that may have made a lot of sense rhetorically 30 or 40 years ago, but just doesn’t have \u2026 the same purchase as it did 30 or 40 years ago because the country is different and because young people are looking at this in a different way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vance\u2019s appearance at the annual RJC confab \u2014 hosted at the Venetian Resort, developed by the late GOP megadonor Sheldon Adelson \u2014 came as a surprise to many in the pro-Israel community, with which Vance has shared a sometimes tumultuous relationship<\/u><\/a>. Vance, the current frontrunner<\/u><\/a> for the Republican presidential nomination in 2028, will likely need to shore up support from the community to succeed Trump.<\/p>\n

The hesitancy toward Vance among some in pro-Israel circles boiled up in recent months over Vance\u2019s dovishness on the Iran war and his criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s Israeli government<\/u><\/a>. But other concerns go back further, centered on his longtime relationship with Israel-skeptical pundit Tucker Carlson and the way he\u2019s addressed antisemitic incidents<\/u><\/a> or statements<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Some pro-Israel megadonors, like billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin, have already signaled they\u2019d support Secretary of State Marco Rubio in 2028 over Vance. (Neither Vance nor Rubio have announced whether they\u2019ll seek the presidential nomination, though Rubio has stated he will not run<\/u><\/a> if Vance does.)<\/p>\n

But Vance\u2019s speech was met with applause inside the cavernous convention hall where it was delivered, and praise outside of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe hit a home run with the crowd,\u201d Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) told reporters after the speech, noting Vance received \u201cseveral standing ovations.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Jewish community has \u201ca great \u2018bullshit detector,\u2019 to understand when they’re being pandered to,\u201d said Matt Brooks, CEO of the RJC. \u201cAnd I don’t believe that anybody will come away from this meeting thinking that they were pandered to. I think they will come away from this conversation with a sense that the vice president really gets it and gets us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last year, the RJC\u2019s leadership summit was centered on combatting antisemitism<\/u><\/a> within the Republican Party, and leaders took aim at Carlson and others. Vance has been an ally of Carlson\u2019s, and when Coleman asked Vance about podcasters like Carlson, Vance gave a winding answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recognize a lot of people in this room may disagree with things that Tucker Carlson or Megyn Kelly or Joe Rogan have said,\u201d Vance said, before focusing on Rogan and Fuentes, saying they are \u201ctwo very, very different categories of people.\u201d<\/p>\n

“I think it’s a mistake to sort of say we’re going to write Joe Rogan off because he said something that we don’t like,\u201d he said. \u201cI think the best approach is to actually go in there and talk to him and make the argument as best as you can.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vance directly condemned some antisemitic theories like blood libel, saying it is the exact opposite of the Christian gospel. He said that Jew-hatred is \u201ccorrosive to the soul.\u201d<\/p>\n

And echoing other speakers at the two-day RJC summit, Vance declared that former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) is the most important Senate candidate this cycle, and urged those in attendance to support him in his race against Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed.<\/p>\n

Earlier Monday, Vance rallied alongside Rogers at a Michigan event hosted by MAGA Inc., Trump\u2019s super PAC<\/u><\/a>, before flying to Nevada. His cross-country itinerary signaled his seriousness in courting the Jewish donor community, suggested Robert Schostak, an RJC board member.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it’s great that he’s here. This is not easy,\u201d said Schostak, the former Michigan GOP chair. \u201cHe cares about the fight of antisemitism, and the support for Israel. If this was secondary to him, he wouldn’t be here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ari Fleischer, an RJC board member and a former White House press secretary, agreed. \u201cToday is not primary day,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I think today was progress day for JD Vance with the Jewish community.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"