Congressman Byron Donalds didn’t come to Las Vegas to play politics — he came to call out a real and growing threat to American liberty: antisemitism. Speaking at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s gathering, Donalds bluntly urged Republicans to show “moral clarity” in defending Jewish Americans and Israel, refusing the cowardly equivocations that have plagued too many on the right and left.
Donalds drove the point home by highlighting the surge of hostile rhetoric on college campuses and in some cities, and he didn’t limit himself to words; he proposed concrete accountability measures, including tying federal education funding to universities’ treatment of Jewish students. That kind of no-nonsense remedy is exactly what voters expect from patriots who mean to protect liberty and safety, not hand-wringing rhetoric.
This isn’t some abstract culture-war line to be drawn in op-ed copy — it’s about safety, law and conscience. The Republican Jewish Coalition event underscored the stakes: GOP leaders and grassroots conservatives gathered to affirm that standing with Israel and standing against antisemitism are non-negotiable duties of a serious party. The crowd in Las Vegas made it plain that the GOP must translate moral conviction into policy and enforcement.
If Republicans are going to reclaim the mantle of moral leadership they must act with the same resolve Donalds urged. That means pushing laws to hold institutions accountable and defending Title VI protections so schools can’t become safe harbors for hatred — proposals that conservative lawmakers have already begun to advance. Weak statements aren’t enough; Americans expect lawmakers to build legal, financial, and cultural barriers against antisemitic violence and intimidation.
Make no mistake: much of the antisemitism surge has been enabled by a permissive left-wing culture on campuses and in media institutions that too often excuse or rationalize Jew-hatred in the name of politics. Republicans who continue to wring their hands or pretend both sides are equally to blame are failing the Jewish community and failing the country; courage means calling out the truth and defending the innocent without apology.
Byron Donalds set a clear, patriotic example — now the rest of the party must follow. Show up, speak plainly, and legislate with teeth; protect synagogues, counter campus radicalism, and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel. Conservatives who value freedom, faith, and the rule of law should be proud to support leaders who refuse to trade moral clarity for cheap political cover.
