Sens. Scott, Cotton Condemn Anti-Semitism at Republican Jewish Coalition Meeting

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) (R) speaks with journalist Douglas Murray (L) at a gathering of the Republican Jewish Council in Las Vegas on Sept. 5, 2024. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Two pro-Israel senators spoke at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s (RJC) Leadership Summit at the Venetian Las Vegas on Sept. 5, ending a night marked by praise for Israel and its embattled leader, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, amid the war with the Hamas terrorist group.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said the election this year is different than elections in the past because of the growth of anti-Semitism.

“This election is about whether we as a nation will tolerate anti-Semitism,” he said. “This election is about whether we as a nation stand with Israel or capitulate to terrorists.”

Jewish students are being attacked on college campuses in the United States, he said, adding that supporters of Hamas “burn the American flag and desecrate public property just steps from the Capitol.”

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), an Iraq War veteran and a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the United States should support Israel in its war against Hamas.

“There’s only one acceptable outcome in this war,” he said. “It is the defeat and the destruction of Hamas.”

He criticized the Democratic Party presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris for supporting “more than $100 billion in sanctions relief to Iran, the world’s worst state sponsor of terrorism.”

The estimate includes approximately $80 billion in revenue from illicit oil sales since 2021, International Monetary Fund Special Drawing Rights that the Biden administration chose not to block, the release of electricity revenue that had been held in escrow in Iraq, and more.

“According to intelligence reports, Iran is now trying to undermine our election in [Harris’s] favor,” Cotton said.

Senate Fundraising in Focus

Earlier in the day, Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), chair of the National Republican Senate Committee, delivered remarks that highlighted Senate Republicans’ vulnerabilities over fundraising.

“We have more states in play than resources to cover them, and the Democrats realize they’ve got a challenge on their hands,” Daines told reporters during a roundtable, noting the Harris campaign had redirected $25 million of its money to down-ballot contests, including the Senate.

Democrats enjoy a significant monetary advantage in many Senate contests. In Nevada, for example, incumbent Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada) has raised more than $31 million as compared to over $9.5 million raised by her Republican opponent, Afghanistan veteran Sam Brown.

Brown was among the Senate hopefuls who spoke during a lunch panel at the RJC panel, where he recounted injuries he sustained when his Humvee ran over a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. The explosion left him covered in diesel and on fire.

Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) speaks during the weekly Senate presser in the U.S. Capitol, on July 9, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Hostage’s Parents Speak

Other speakers included Ronen and Orna Neutra. They talked about their son, Omer Neutra, an American who was taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023, and remains in captivity.

Ronen (L) and Orna Neutra (R) speak at the Republician Jewish Coalition in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sept. 5, 2024. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

“Life as we knew it on October 6th stopped,” Orna said, describing how nearly one year of separation from her son has felt.

“We’re glued to our phones. Every ping causes a tiny leap of the heart. Is it news about Omer and the other hostages? Our phones are never switched off,” she said.

Ronen praised President Joe Biden and Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump.