Republican Jewish Coalition

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Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) was described in 2005 as "a big money pro-Israel lobby group[1] linking Jewish-American neoconservatives to the Christian Right and Israel's Likud government."[2]

Koch Wiki

Charles Koch is the right-wing billionaire owner of Koch Industries. As one of the richest people in the world, he is a key funder of the right-wing infrastructure, including the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the State Policy Network (SPN). In SourceWatch, key articles on Charles Koch and his late brother David include: Koch Brothers, Americans for Prosperity, Stand Together Chamber of Commerce, Stand Together, Koch Family Foundations, Koch Universities, and I360.

Background

The Republican Jewish Coalition founded in 1985 as the National Jewish Coalition "to be a permanent Jewish presence in the Republican community and a credible Republican presence in the Jewish community," its website states. The RJC is "the sole voice of Jewish Republicans to Republican decision makers and the Jewish community ... committed to building a strong, effective and respected Jewish Republican voice in Washington and across the country."[3]

Bush White House connections

The following members of the Republican Jewish Coalition board of directors are connected with President George W. Bush and the Bush administration.

  • Sam Fox,[10] the Republican fundraiser from Missouri who was named in an April 2007 recess appointment as Ambassador to Belgium by President George W. Bush. Fox's 2004 funding of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth prevented his Senate confirmation earlier. Fox is also a member of the Libby Defense Trust Advisory Committee.
  • Howard Leach, Freedom's Watch funder, served as Ambassador to France until 2005, Bush Pioneer, funder to Bush 2000 Florida recount, major donor to Republican candidates, and member of the Libby Defense Trust Advisory Committee.[5]
  • Kevin Moley, Freedom's Watch funder, served as U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations (2001-2006), as well as a Senior Advisor to Cheney for Bush-Cheney 2000.

Likud agenda

The RJC has consistently backed positions which are on the far right of the Israeli political spectrum, and the RJC has pushed a Likud-line[citation needed]. In December 2011, Brooks removed Ron Paul from the RJC forum because he questioned the continued unconditional US aid to Israel.[11]

Campaigns

Freedom's Watch

Took George W. Bush to Israel

Texas Gov. George W. Bush, center, flanked by Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt, left, and Republican Jewish Coalition Executive Director Matthew Brooks, visits the Western Wall in Jerusalem during a 1998 tour of Israel for Republican governors organized by the Republican Jewish Coalition.

The Republican Jewish Coalition took George W. Bush on his first trip to Israel in 1998.[2]

Smeared Howard Dean

In February 2005, the RJC "began running full-page ads in major Jewish newspapers across the country featuring a large photo of militants strapped with explosives coddling a young Palestinian boy. Above that arresting image is a quote by Dean: 'It's not our place to take sides.' Below the photo are quotes by Democrats critical of Dean. The ad effectively equates Dean's election with the appeasement of suicide bombers."[2]

Slandered Jewish Democrats

During the month of September 2006, the Republican Jewish Coalition "deliberately distort[ed] the facts" and "placed ads in Jewish newspapers across the country making the outrageous and ridiculous assertion that Democrats are 'turning their backs on Israel.' At the same time, the accusation [was] made by individuals who ... sent out thousands of e-mails to all those in their inboxes."[12]

Questioned loyalty of Jewish Democrats

In October 2006, on the eve of the 2006 Congressional elections, the RJC "call[ed] into question the loyalty of Jewish Democrats, and their party's attitude toward Israel" by running ads which "focused on supposedly 'anti-Israel comments' made by prominent Democrats, and the declining support for Israel amongst grassroots Democrats ... in nearly 30 Jewish weekly newspapers nationwide", with plans to expand into "additional publications."[13]

"RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said, 'The party of Harry Truman and Scoop Jackson has become the party of Jimmy Carter, Al Sharpton, and Cindy Sheehan. Jewish Democrats should take a fresh look and see if they are still comfortable with the growing influence of the anti-Israel radical Left within the Democratic Party.' The Republican party has been winning over more Jewish votes with every election - going from 11 percent in 1992, to 25 percent in 2004."[13]

Personnel

The following are listed among RJC's leadership.[14]

In January 2009, Republican Senator Norm Coleman joined RJC as a consultant, pending the outcome of his contested re-election bid against Al Franken. [24]

Contact information

Republican Jewish Coalition
50 F Street, N.W.
Suite 100
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202 638-6688
Fax: 202 638-6694
Email: rjc @ rjchq.org
URL: http://www.rjchq.org/

Resources

Related SourceWatch articles

References

  1. Lobbying Disclosure: Republican Jewish Coalition, Registrant ID: 32870, U.S. House of Representatives.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Ari Berman, "Here They Go Again," The Nation, February 16, 2005.
  3. About the RJC, RJCHQ.org.
  4. "Rosner's Guest: Matt Brooks," Haaretz, October 1, 2007.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Libby legal defense trust's advisory committee," Dogspot, April 5, 2007.
  6. Walter Stern, NNDB.com.
  7. Advisory Council, CFA Institute/CFA Centre.
  8. Ronald Weiser, NNDB.com.
  9. Muriel Kane, "Fred Zeidman and the Republican Jewish Coalition," at-Largely Blog, April 14, 2007.
  10. Republican Jewish Coalition, NNDB.com.
  11. Chris McGreal, Ron Paul excluded from Republican Jewish Coalition forum, Guardian, 5 December 2011.
  12. "GOP Slanders Dems With ‘Anti-Israel’ Ads," The Jewish Daily Forward, September 29, 2006.
  13. 13.0 13.1 Manila Ryce, "Republican Jewish Coalition to Expand Political Ad Campaign," The Largest Minority Blog, October 18, 2006. Source: Matthew Brooks, "RJC to Expand Highly-Successful Ad Campaign," RJCHQ.org, October 12, 2006.
  14. Biography/biographies for RJC leadership, RJCHQ.org.
  15. Leonard Abramson, NNDB.com.
  16. Kenneth Bialkin, NNDB.com.
  17. Lewis M. Eisenberg, NNDB.com.
  18. David Flaum, NNDB.com.
  19. Ned L. Siegel, NNDB.com.
  20. Myles Tanenbaum, NNDB.com.
  21. Allen Tessler, NNDB.com.
  22. James S. Tisch, NNDB.com.
  23. Ronald Weiser, NNDB.com.
  24. Michael O'Brien, "Coleman gets job, will still continue reelection bid," The Hill, January 22, 2009.
  25. "Privately-Sponsored Travel by Senator Coleman. Republican Jewish Coalition – various," Office of Sen. Norman Coleman, undated.

External articles

1999

2004

2005

2006

2007

External resources