Republicans tout U.S.-Israel ties at Las Vegas summit; VP Vance to give speech

Republicans tout U.S.-Israel ties at Las Vegas summit; VP Vance to give speech Elected Republicans and Trump medication officials reiterated on Monday that the U.S.-Israel confederation remains steadfast amid warfare in the Middle East and what they described as festering antisemitism on both sides of the governmental spectrum. The Republican Jewish Coalition’s Leadership Summit—held annually at the Venetian Resort—featured remarks from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R‑Louisiana), Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo and numerous pro‑Israel lawmakers and conservative personalities. Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to speak Monday evening. Air Force 2 touched down in Las Vegas at approximately 4:45 p.m. The RJC characterizes itself as an advocacy group that aims to “foster and enhance ties between the American Jewish community and Republican decision‑makers.” Its two‑day Las Vegas gathering began on Sunday. The coalition is described as a “powerful voice.” Monday’s addresses focused on Jewish identity, U.S.-Israel relations, antisemitism and politics, as Republicans seek to retain control of the U.S. House and Senate in the forthcoming midterm elections—a period when the party in power typically loses seats. Johnson asserted that President Donald Trump can “defy history” with the assistance of the RJC and Jewish Americans. Speaking via a live video feed, he expressed confidence that Republicans could flip the seats held by Representatives Dina Titus and Susie Lee, the Nevada Democrats challenged by state Senator Carrie Buck and Marty O’Donnell. The audience applauded when the challengers’ names were mentioned. A Democratic campaign spokesperson rebutted Johnson’s comments later that evening. “D.C. Republicans spent the past year and a half voting to raise costs on working families, boot Nevadans off their health care, and hurt Las Vegas’ economy,” wrote Lindsay Reilly, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, in a statement. “Speaker Johnson is delusional if he thinks voters are going to do anything but resoundingly reject Republicans at the ballot box this November.” Johnson also discussed the Israel‑U.S. alliance, noting that the two nations share defense strategies and technology to preserve a stable ideology in the Middle East. “There are spiritual reasons, of course, that many of us have a conviction from scripture that Israel must remain our close ally, but there’s all sorts of reasons beyond that,” Johnson said. “There’s tons of economic and political reasons to do this, but increasingly people don’t recognize that,” he added. Lombardo said he had advanced policies to protect and support Jewish Nevadans. “The Republican Jewish Coalition has long been a powerful voice for the principles that strengthen our nation: strong leadership, economic freedom, and that belief that government exists to serve its people,” the governor declared. He highlighted that he signed legislation establishing an official definition of antisemitism for use in discrimination investigations and that the state had codified Nevada’s observance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day into law. “As long as I’m in office, I remain committed to ensuring Nevada can live, worship, and raise its families safely,” Lombardo said. Several speakers sharply criticized opponents of Israel, characterizing attacks on the federation as assaults on Jewish people generally. They contended that Republicans have been more effective than Democrats at marginalizing antisemitic voices within their ranks. Also speaking Monday were Senators Dave McCormick (R‑PA) and Tim Sheehy (R‑MT), Acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Attendees praised the event’s atmosphere. Approximately one hundred regular participants mingled on the venue’s grounds. Ruth Gold attended her sixth RJC gathering in Las Vegas. She told the Review‑Journal that the remarks resonated with her as a daughter of Holocaust survivors. “They’re telling truths,” Gold said. Yuval Jorov traveled from Houston, Texas, for his second appearance at the summit. He valued the camaraderie of meeting Jewish individuals from varied backgrounds. “This is truly awesome,” Jorov said. “You get to meet a bunch of great people from different backgrounds.” Omer Cicelsky, a UNLV student, remarked that he appreciated the speeches that touched on his reflections about family and faith. “It’s awesome to hear them,” he said. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.