Donald Trump outlines his stance on the Israel-Hamas war at Jewish conference

Members of the Republican Jewish community on Thursday called for the immediate release of all hostages taken by Hamas during the attack in Israel almost a year ago.

Ken Abramowitz, a resident from Lake Worth, Florida, said the hostages should have been released within a day after the attacks that killed 1,200 Israelis and took 240 people hostage, also sparking a war that led to the deaths of more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry.

“It’s about as big a disaster as happens in your lifetime,” Abramowitz told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “It reminded me of 9/11, and although I wasn’t around at the time, it reminded me of Pearl Harbor.”

This year’s Republican Jewish Coalition’s leadership summit was held a few weeks before the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack — and just days after six hostages were killed by Hamas. That includes 23-year-old Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose parents spoke at the recent political conventions advocating for his release.

While a deal was brokered last November to release 110 women and children, a large number of hostages remain behind. Speakers and guests alike criticized the Biden-Harris administration for not having success in bringing the remaining hostages home, accusing the White House of not making it a priority.

Orna and Ronen Neutra, who spoke to the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Wednesday, told the crowd Thursday of the agony of not knowing how their son Omer Neutra fares after being taken hostage 335 days ago.

“There is specific physical pain and fear when a person you love is suffering and you have no access to them,” Orna Neutra said. “Omer is alive, but he is in great danger. Since October 7th, there is not a moment that passes when we are not thinking about his safety.”

Trump campaign highlighted

At previous years’ summits, the event served as a stage for a long line of GOP presidential candidates; last year, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ron DeSantis and Mike Pence made appearances on stage. This year’s conference highlighted Trump’s campaign and his policies on Israel versus that of Vice President Kamala Harris.

Former President Donald Trump outlined his pro-Israel policies and told members of the Republican Jewish Coalition on Thursday that he is the best candidate for Israel.

“With your vote, we will defend our citizens, we will defend our values, and we will defend our country,” he told the Republican Jewish Coalition via satellite during its annual leadership summit. “America and Israel will be respected again.”

Trump said he is devastated by the death of Goldberg-Polin and the hostages who were killed last week.

“As for the evil savages responsible for these murders, may they never know peace or comfort ever again,” he said.

Harris vs. Trump’s stances on Israel

Trump, as well as the many GOP speakers, criticized the Biden-Harris administration for withholding weapons from Israel and for issuing a $10 billion Iran sanctions waiver. They also criticized Harris for skipping Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech in Washington D.C. in July, though her campaign said she’d plan a separate meeting.

The former president highlighted his record, from opening a U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, signing the Abraham Accords, defeating ISIS, and withdrawing from the Iran Nuclear Deal and what he called the “antisemitic” United Nations Human Rights Council.

Trump claimed the attack on Israel never would have happened if he had been president and claimed a Harris presidency would lead terrorists to drive Jews from Israel.

“I am the candidate of those who want to defend Western civilization, defend Israel,” Trump said. “I will support Israel’s right to win. It’s war or terror, and we will win fast. We have to win.”

At the Democratic National Convention a few weeks ago, Harris gave a clearer picture of her stance on the war, saying that she will stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself and make sure it has the ability to do so, while also recognizing the civilians killed in Gaza.

She said that she and Biden are working to end the war so “Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.”

Morgan Finkelstein, a spokesperson for the Harris-Walz campaign, claimed Trump would turn on Israel if it suited his personal interests.

“Meanwhile, the Vice President has been incredibly clear: She has been a lifelong supporter of the State of Israel as a secure, democratic homeland for the Jewish people,” Finkelstein said in the statement. “She has an unwavering commitment to the security of Israel and will always stand up for its right to defend itself. She also stands steadfastly against antisemitism both at home and abroad and will do the same as President.”

Jewish support

Trump boasted about the percentage of Jewish people who are voting for him but lambasted the 50 percent of Jewish people who are voting for Democrats.

“Who are the 50 percent of Jewish people that are voting for these people that hate Israel and don’t like Jewish people?” he said.

A Pew Research Center survey released in April found about 69 percent of Jewish voters associate with the Democratic Party, while 29 percent affiliate with the Republican Party.

Trump promised to deport “foreign Jihad sympathizers,” receiving a standing ovation from the crowd of approximately 1,000 people, according to the Republican Jewish Coalition.

“If you hate America, if you want to eliminate Israel, then we don’t want you in our country,” he said.

Other speakers throughout the two-day event — including National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Steve Daines, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa — made similar statements. They said Israel should be allowed to destroy Hamas and called for the ending of government funding of universities that condone the pro-Palestine protests.

Speaker Mike Johnson, who last year addressed the Republican Jewish Coalition for the first time as House Speaker, spoke via satellite while at a G7 conference in Israel.

“Iran must be dealt with forcefully,” Johnson said, receiving applause.

Miriam Adelson, a major GOP donor and owner of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, spoke ahead of Trump and introduced him as a friend, saying he will save Israel.

“The world is against us, and we need a good friend,” she said.

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.