Highlights from the Annual Leadership Meeting in Las Vegas
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Our 2019 Annual Leadership Meeting in Las Vegas was a tremendous success! In the space of 48 hours, the RJC welcomed both President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence as well as more than a dozen other top Republican elected officials from across the country. The RJC annual leadership meeting made history in so many ways: more great speakers, more attendees, and more spirit than ever before.
The highlight of the event was the opportunity to thank President Trump, the most pro-Israel President in history, when he took the stage last weekend. You can see the President’s remarks in full here.
RJC National Chairman Senator Norm Coleman introduced the President. In the format of “Dayenu,” the Passover seder song praising the Almighty for His blessings to the Jewish people, Chairman Coleman recounted some of the tremendous things President Trump has accomplished for the American people. You can see Chairman Coleman’s remarks here.
Vice President Mike Pence spoke to RJC leaders later in the program. You can see his remarks in full here.
We were also proud to host four people – former Jewish Democrats – who told their stories of leaving the Democratic Party. They called on Jewish voters to support President Trump and his agenda for economic growth, effective national defense, and a strong US-Israel alliance. You can see their remarks here.
As Democrats struggle with the troubling rise in anti-Israel and anti-Semitic sentiment in their party, more Jewish voters are turning to the Republican Party. We expect this trend to continue and to grow, and the RJC will take point in the effort to attract Jewish support for Republicans in the 2020 election.
Executive Director Matt Brooks confirmed last weekend that the RJC plans a $10 million-plus investment in the effort to grow the Jewish vote for Republicans in this election cycle. Politico reports:
“We’re at the intersection of a very unique moment in time where we have the most pro-Israel president ever in history in Donald Trump, and we also at the same time have the Democratic Party — because of the pressure of the progressive left— moving away from the traditional support for Israel that has existed going back to 1948,” said Matt Brooks, who has served as RJC executive director for nearly three decades.
Our outstanding program included a Shabbat dinner featuring Gov. Ron DeSantis (FL), GOP Conference Chair Liz Cheney (WY), Special Assistant to the President Jason Greenblatt, Gov. Pete Ricketts (NE), Gov. Greg Abbott (TX), and Rep. David Kustoff (TN).
Our fantastic morning program on Saturday featured remarks from President Trump, and also included Sen. Lindsey Graham (SC), House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA), Rep. Lee Zeldin (NY), Rep. Billy Long (MO), and others. The RJC was proud to host the presentation of the “Defender of Freedom and Security” award, sponsored by the Mizel Family Foundations, to three outstanding heroes: Pittsburgh Police Officer Timothy Matson, Simche Czin and Mordechai Lichtenstadter. Officer Matson was wounded while responding to the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting. Czin and Lichtenstadter, residents of Borough Park, NY, saved the life of an Israeli Druze policeman who was attacked by a knife-wielding terrorist in the Old City of Jerusalem in 2017.
We were honored to welcome Vice President Pence to the afternoon session, along with other great speakers including: Sen. David Perdue (GA), Israeli ambassador to the UN Danny Danon, Gov. Kristi Noem (SD), Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Jim Risch (ID), Sen. Kevin Cramer (ND), Rep. Denver Riggleman (VA), and Rep. Dan Crenshaw (TX).
The weekend concluded on Sunday morning with a panel on national security and defense featuring Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA) and Michael Gallagher (WI).
You can see videos of all the speakers from this amazing event here. The next Annual Leadership Meeting in Las Vegas will be held March 13-15, 2020. Registration is already open!