Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war dividing the already-estranged country, former President Donald Trump scored a major donation from an unlikely group.
The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) announced that it is committed to raising at least $5 million, from its donors and its RJC Victory Fund super PAC, for Trump’s 2024 campaign. This marks the largest donation in RJC’s history.
The initiative comes at the same time when President Joe Biden faces losing his re-election for his initial support of Israel.
RJC national political director Sam Markstein said that the fundraising effort will be the most significant endeavor to “mobilize support in the Jewish community for President Trump.”
The fundraising drive is in addition to a $15 million independent expenditure. The move comes amid weeks of protests on college campuses nationwide, sparked by Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza. These protests have not only grabbed media attention but also highlighted the deepening divide within the Democratic Party.
The dissatisfaction within the Jewish community is palpable. Many American Jews are increasingly uncomfortable with the Democratic Party’s leniency towards anti-Semitic sentiments and its handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The Pew Research Center’s comprehensive survey of Jewish Americans in 2020 found that while a significant majority still identify as Democrats, the Orthodox Jewish population is increasingly leaning towards the Republican Party. The survey revealed that 75% of Orthodox Jews were Republicans or leaned Republican, a significant increase from previous years. Via Trending Politics.
Markstein said the recent pro-Hamas college campus protests have highlighted the “failures, broken promises, and betrayals by Joe Biden.” He criticized the Biden Administration’s relationship with Israel— one of America’s top allies— and its recent actions toward the nation.
Last week, Biden revealed that he stopped the shipment of heavy bombs and artillery to Israel in opposition to a potential Rafah invasion. The president also threatened the Jewish state that he would stop supplying weapons to them if the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched an invasion into the region.
The unexpected shift in political party for Jews could be a turning point for the 2024 election and a major panic attack for the Biden campaign.