JD Vance's speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition
Vance blamed rising antisemitism in America on immigration while courting big Republican donors, and the pitch landed badly with the very crowd he was trying to win over.
- Vance told the Republican Jewish Coalition that the worst antisemitism comes from immigrants importing old ethnic hatreds, a claim critics call false and a convenient scapegoat.
- The framing is widely seen as a play for donor money ahead of 2028, aimed at a right-wing pro-Israel crowd that does not reflect most Jewish Americans — a large majority of whom oppose the current Israeli government.
- It still was not enough for the room: pro-Israel figures like Sid Rosenberg complained he called Israel only "one of" America's best allies and pushed back on blaming immigrants rather than Americans.
- Meanwhile, dozens of former Israeli generals and two former Israeli prime ministers signed a letter accusing Israel of terrorism and ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.
- The wider charge: criticism of Israel's actions is deliberately conflated with hatred of Jews to shut down debate, and US media largely ignores dissent coming from inside Israel itself.
Outlook: Vance is likely to keep chasing this donor bloc, but the cool reception suggests he will face pressure to go further on Israel to lock in 2028 support.