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

The estimate includes about $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 Senatorial 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 that 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-Nev.) has raised more than $31 million as compared with the more than $9.5 million raised by her Republican opponent, Afghanistan war veteran Sam Brown.

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

Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) speaks during the weekly Senate news conference 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, who talked about their son, Omer Neutra, an American who was taken hostage in the attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, and remains in captivity.

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

“Life as we knew it on October 6th stopped,” Orna Neutra 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.”

Ronen Neutra praised both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee .