LAS VEGAS, NV – Last night, Senator Rick Scott spoke at the Republican Jewish Coalition Annual Summit. Senator Scott spoke about his commitment to fighting for Israel, for Jewish families in Florida and across the nation, and against the disgusting rise in antisemitism. See below for pictures from the event and his remarks as prepared for delivery.

Thank you for having me here.

Tonight, I am joined by my wife, Ann. Together, we have visited Israel many times. We both share such a love for Israel and we are honored to be here tonight.

It’s been 334 days since Israel has been at war.

It’s been 334 days since:

–      Edan Alexander

–      Sagui Dekel- Chen 

–      Omer Neutra 

–      Keith Siegel

Have seen their families.

Have seen freedom.

Have been held captive by the vilest people on planet earth.

…It’s been 334 days that they have had to face death in the eye.

And the names I read are only the Americans who we believe are still alive and held hostage.  And, there over a hundred more people both dead and alive from many different countries who are being held in captivity by Hamas.

Let’s all stop for a minute and take this in.  Could you even imagine 1 hour of enduring that?  They have spent almost 8,000 hours in that tortured hell.

We just heard the news of six hostages who were killed, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, just before the IDF would have rescued them.

Their bodies were found in a tunnel under Rafah.  Joe Biden and Kamala Harris threatened Netenyahu and withheld weapons to stop him from going into Rafah. 

If Biden would not have impeded Israel’s advance, these innocent people might still be alive today. 

Amongst all this horror and heart break, we must also thank God for the hostages Israel has been able to rescue.

Just last week, the IDF rescued Qaid Farhan Alkadi from an underground tunnel.

But, there are many more souls who are depending on the freedom loving world to save them. 

I want to be very clear:  we need to rescue every hostage who is still alive, TODAY…

And it is equally important to bring home those who have been murdered by Hamas. Every family deserves that.

When I addressed you last year, I said:

“Not since the Holocaust has the world witnessed such a brutal attack on the Jewish people.” We have to keep repeating this. Not since the Holocaust has the world witnessed such a brutal attack on the Jewish people.

But, almost a year later, we continue to see so much hate for Israel, so much disrespect to the hostages, and so much anti-Jewish violence where U.S. Citizens are actively – SUPPORTING – Hamas.

Let me read a few quotes to you:

“They are showing exactly what the human emotion should be, as a response to Gaza,” when talking about anti-Israel protestors. Who do you think said this? The Democrat nominee for President, Kamala Harris.

And, after a student accused Israel of ethnic genocide, Harris responded:

“Your truth, should not be suppressed and it must be heard, right?”

Your truth? No. That’s simply false.

Let me read you another quote: “We should not have to tolerate antisemitism or bigotry for all Jewish students, whether they are pro-genocide or anti-genocide.”

Who do you think said this? Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.

This woman is a fool. 

And speaking of fools, here’s what AOC said: “If you want to know what an unfolding genocide looks like…open your eyes.”

Let’s be crystal clear – these people are racists. 

And they believe that when a country defends itself from terrorism, it is genocide. They are fools who should not be taken seriously.

What’s scary is that these quotes aren’t from blue–haired college kids protesting on campuses, they aren’t from anti-Israel professors …they are from members of the United States Congress and the Democrat nominee for President.

We say every election, that elections matter.  They always do.  But, this election is far different than any other in my lifetime. 

This election is about whether, we as a nation, will tolerate antisemitism.

This election is about whether, we as a nation, stand with Israel or capitulate to terrorists.

This election is about whether, we as a nation, will allow our Jewish students to be attacked for simply wearing a Star of David on their college campus. 

This election is about whether, we as a nation, will allow supporters of Hamas to burn the American Flag and desecrate public property just steps from the U.S. Capitol.

The most radical ticket in my lifetime of Harris and Walz have a history of embracing well-known antisemites, awarding tax dollars to groups associated with terror sympathizers and completely abandoning Israel when they need America’s support the most. 

Kamala Harris couldn’t even be bothered to show up to Congress when Netanyahu addressed us in the U.S. Capitol.

Trump says Kamala Harris hates Israel and everybody gets upset.

Well…the truth is very upsetting. She thinks because her husband is Jewish it somehow gives her cover as she appeals to the radical antisemites in her party…the same people who told her not to pick a Jewish Governor to be her running mate.

But remember, today’s Democrats believe they can get away with anything and still win elections. 

They believe they can be silent while Jewish Americans are targeted on the streets in our cities. 

And they believe they can use the government to silence anyone that disagrees with them or questions their authority.

Just think about it…what if I told you 10 years ago that very soon the Democrat Party in the USA was going to be undecided on whether or not they are for or against antisemitism?

You would have said I was crazy. Well…here we are.

And right now, we are seeing what happens when the President puts the full force of the U.S. Government behind putting his leading political opponent in jail. 

Even though Biden isn’t the nominee anymore, it’s still happening.

Just look at what Jack Smith is doing with another indictment, and we have Trump’s sentencing in New York in just a few weeks. 

Under a Harris/Walz presidency, we should expect this type of behavior to continue.

They will continue to try and lock up their opponents like dictators Xi and Maduro …WHILE giving cash bail to violent criminals and terror sympathizers.  Why should we expect anything different from the woman who supported a bail fund that freed violent criminals?

And, this doesn’t stop with the Presidential election. I am up for re-election, and I am running against a radical socialist who during her very brief stint in Congress, voted with AOC, Tlaib and Omar nearly 100% of the time. 

She refuses to condemn the hateful, anti-Israel protests on college campuses. Protests that are funded by Iran.

I am running for re-election, but I am also running to be the Republican leader of the Senate. 

And, as Senate leader, you can count on support for Israel and protection for our Jewish communities being top priorities.

As Senate leader, I will:

Force a vote to stop any funds to Hamas.  A lot of people don’t realize this, but Biden’s own State Department admitted a few years ago that U.S. taxpayer dollars for humanitarian aid in Gaza could potentially fund Iran-backed Hamas terrorists.  

Long before the horrors of October 7, I filed a bill to stop this – but Chuck Schumer and the Democrats have refused to let my bill pass that would not allow any of our tax dollars to go to Hamas. Day 1 as leader, you better believe I will bring this up for a vote.

Force a vote to defund every college, university…any educational institution that receives a cent of taxpayer funds that allows antisemitic events on campus. 

Day 1 as leader, I will be bringing up the “Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act,” for a vote so every elite, ivory tower institution in this country knows that we will revoke every single funding source possible if they fail to keep Jewish students safe.

Force a vote to halt all funding to the United Nations. I have long opposed American taxpayer funds going to the UN, which gives a global stage to the world’s worst human rights abusers and terror sponsors, was a puppet for Communist China as it worked to cover-up COVID origins…

And, has for years supported Iran-backed Hamas terrorism through its Agency for Palestine Refugees.

America did the right thing under President Trump to stop U.S. funding for UNRWA.

We must pass legislation to hold Iran accountable, stop the Biden/Harris appeasement and halt this funding once again.

It wasn’t too long ago that we had the most Pro-Israel president in the White House: Donald Trump.

The U.S. defeated ISIS, moved the U.S. embassy to its rightful home in Jerusalem and held vicious Iranian murderers, like Qasem Soleimani, accountable for the American lives they had taken.

Our southern border was secured, denying terror groups the ability to infiltrate American communities like they have for the last four years under Border Czar Harris.

Historic moves toward peace were taken with the Abraham Accords.

And we were actually holding Iran accountable. 

Biden and Harris have been green lighting billions of dollars to Iran.

Where do you think Iran, the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism, has come up with funds to prop up the Houthis in the Red Sea, commit the largest genocide on the Jewish people since the Holocaust, and provide munitions and weapons to Israel’s enemies to start multi–front wars?

From U.S., European and Chinese dollars because Biden and Harris have reduced the sanctions that President Trump put on Iran.  This has resulted in billions of dollars going into Iran to fund terror operations.

All of you in this room do so much to support Republicans who fight for Israel and our Jewish community.  I thank you for that and I know that together, we can lead the fight to win the House, the Senate and get President Trump back in the White House who will not only stand up for Israel BUT ALL FREEDOM–LOVING NATIONS.

I want to thank Matt Brooks and Norm Coleman for their incredible work at the RJC.  We need groups like the RJC who are vocal and refuse to back down in times like these.  The RJC supports candidates who are trying to do the right thing on Israel and that is so critical right now.

I also want to highlight Matt Bogdanoff who is RJC’s Florida Director. We have an incredible Jewish community in Florida and Matt does a great job making sure all the elected officials in our state know how to help right now.

As I close, I want to leave you with this.  A few months ago, I went to Israel. I met with President Netanyahu and I visited some of the places that were horrifically attacked on October 7^th like the site of the Nova Music Festival and Kfar Aza.

When my daughters were young, I took them to Auschwitz – Birkenau so they could understand what happened during the Holocaust.  They had to understand the horrors of what people endured. 

Now, it is incumbent on us, to do the same with Israel today. We need to see with our own eyes what terrorists are capable of doing and why we cannot ever give up on our fight to stand firmly with Israel and support their right to defend itself.

In Florida, I constantly meet with Floridians who have family and friends in Israel. And, when they say they are going to visit them or just returned, I am appreciative. 

We need to show up for our friends and family in Israel right now.  We need them to know we are with them, we will show up and we will fight with them.

Thank you all for your friendship and support.  I will keep fighting for Israel.  I will keep fighting for the Jewish families in my state and across the nation. 

As a Christian, I am sick of seeing Jewish people terrorized in their homes, Synagogues, at school and across the world for simply living out their faith. 

This gets to the very fabric of who we are as a nation and every American has an obligation to call out evil like this.  Thank you.

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