Republican presidential candidates gathered to pledge unwavering support for Israel in its war against Hamas as they spoke at an annual gathering of influential Jewish financial donors.
Former President Donald Trump said at the Republican Jewish Coalition event that he "will defend our friend and ally Israel like no one has before."
The conflict between Israel and Hamas is "a struggle between civilization and savagery, between decency and depravity and between good and evil," said Trump, who received the warmest reception from those in attendance as he took aim at President Joe Biden's administration and avoided criticizing their rivals.
The former reality show host, the overwhelming favorite to win the party's nomination against Biden next year despite facing multiple criminal prosecutions, spoke out after sparking outrage in recent weeks by describing the Lebanon-based Islamist group Hezbollah as “ very smart' and criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Also in Las Vegas was Trump's closest rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who called the October 7 surprise attack by Hamas on Israel "the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust."
DeSantis and others pointed to the death toll, which they said shows anti-Semitism on American colleges is on the rise, and suggested defunding universities and revoking visas for pro-Palestinian foreign students.
"We need cultural chemotherapy to fight this cancer," said Senator Tim Scott. "Any student on a visa who calls for genocide should be deported."
The only woman in the race, Nikki Haley, Trump's former UN ambassador, has sparked fears of anti-Semitic attacks on US soil.
"As president, I will change the official federal definition of anti-Semitism to include denial of Israel's right to exist," Haley said, adding that she would remove tax credits from schools that do not combat anti-Semitism.
"College students are allowed to have free speech, but they are not free to spread hate that supports terrorism," she said. "Federal law requires schools to combat anti-Semitism. We're going to give that law teeth and enforce it."
House Republican Speaker-elect Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise also addressed the gathering.
Former Vice President Mike Pence surprised the crowd when he announced he was withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race, becoming the first major candidate to suspend his campaign.
"It dawned on me: This is not my time," Pence noted. "After much prayer and consideration, I have decided to end my campaign for president."
Support for Israel is a huge issue for both political parties in the United States and a rare example of foreign policy making a difference at the polls, thanks in part to the large number of Jewish voters.
This is also an important question for evangelical Christians, for whom the existence of a Jewish state is a key prerequisite for the expected "second coming" of Jesus Christ. /BGNES
