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Republican Jewish Coalition favors continued Ukraine assistance, taking a side in a fraught intra-party debate
WASHINGTON (JTA) — The Republican Jewish Coalition is calling on Congress to maintain defense assistance to Ukraine, taking a side in an increasingly fraught debate within its own party.
“Our elected leaders have provided billions of dollars in assistance to bolster Ukraine’s military,” the RJC said in a statement released Monday. “We call on Congress to renew that commitment, and we are pleased that key Republican leaders have pledged to do so.”
The statement from the influential group comes as leaders in Congress and President Joe Biden are negotiating over a deal to raise the debt ceiling. It is a notable example of the RJC staking out a position in an intra-party debate.
The group’s statement also reflects the resurgence of Republicans who favor a muscular American foreign policy — and whose views fell out of favor in the party during Donald Trump’s presidency. The RJC, and its network of donors, carries considerable weight among Republicans, historically hosting leading presidential candidates and prominent officials at its annual conference in Las Vegas.
“In a dangerous world, it is essential to our national security that America prioritize military expenditures much more than we have in recent years, to ensure that we are prepared to counter the full range of threats we face,” the statement said. “As Jewish Americans, we emphatically believe that it is in America’s national interest to see Russia’s military might diminished and its malign strategic aims thwarted.”
Senior Republican voices on foreign policy also support continued defense funding for Ukraine. But a number of influential Republicans have questioned the assistance — chief among them Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who are expected to face off in the race next year’s Republican presidential nomination. Trump is a declared candidate for the 2024 presidential election and DeSantis is expected to announce his bid this month.
The RJC and its counterpart, the Jewish Democratic Council of America, tend to focus on fighting the other party (or each other) rather than taking sides in internecine debates. But both have entered internal party frays in the past. Last year, the JDCA supported continued U.S. funding for Israeli missile defense, which a faction of progressive Democrats opposed.
And the RJC has clashed in the past with Republican Congress members including Steve King, the former representative from Iowa who had ties with antisemitic extremists; Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who voted against funding for Holocaust education; and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who has repeated antisemitic conspiracy theories. Greene and Massie have also opposed funding for Ukraine.
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China, Saudi Arabia Agree to Strengthen Coordination on Regional, Global Matters
Flags of China and Saudi Arabia are seen in this picture, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 7, 2022. REUTERS/Mohammed Benmansour
China and Saudi Arabia agreed to have closer communication and coordination on regional and international issues, with Beijing lauding Riyadh’s role in Middle East diplomacy, statements following a meeting between the nations’ foreign ministers on Sunday showed.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is on a three-nation tour in the Middle East that began in the United Arab Emirates and is expected to end in Jordan. He met with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud in Riyadh on Sunday.
A joint statement published by China’s official news agency Xinhua did not elaborate on what issues the countries will strengthen coordination on, but mentioned China’s support for Saudi Arabia and Iran developing and enhancing their relations.
“(China) appreciates Saudi Arabia’s leading role and efforts to achieve regional and international security and stability,” the statement released on Monday said.
The statement also reiterated both countries’ support for a “comprehensive and just settlement” of the Palestinian issue and the formation of an independent state for Palestinians.
At a high-level meeting, Wang told his Saudi counterpart that China has always regarded Saudi Arabia as a “priority for Middle East diplomacy” and an important partner in global diplomacy, a Chinese foreign ministry statement on Monday said.
He also encouraged more cooperation in energy and investments, as well as in the fields of new energy and green transformation.
The countries have agreed to mutually exempt visas for diplomatic and special passport holders from both sides, according to the joint statement.
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Report: Iran Considers Removing Hezbollah Leader Naim Qassem
Lebanon’s Hezbollah Chief Naim Qassem gives a televised speech from an unknown location, July 30, 2025, in this screen grab from video. Photo: Al Manar TV/REUTERS TV/via REUTERS
i24 News – Iran is reportedly dissatisfied with the performance of Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem and is preparing to reorganize the group’s leadership, potentially removing him from his position, according to a report by Emirati outlet Erem News citing senior Lebanese diplomatic sources.
The report claims Tehran views Qassem as “unsuitable to lead Hezbollah at this critical stage,” arguing that he has failed to meet the leadership standards set by his predecessor, longtime Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.
Iranian officials are said to believe Qassem lacks sufficient political acumen and hold him responsible for the deterioration in relations between Hezbollah and the Lebanese state.
According to Erem News, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to oversee preparations for restructuring Hezbollah’s internal leadership during an upcoming visit to Beirut.
The visit is intended to assess the organization’s internal climate through direct meetings with senior Hezbollah figures and influential operatives.
“The Iranian minister seeks to monitor the general climate within Hezbollah and convey an accurate picture of the internal situation to decision-makers in Tehran,” the report said, adding that the findings would be used to inform “crucial decisions regarding anticipated changes at the head of the organization, most notably the fate of Naim Qassem.”
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Iran’s Foreign Minister to Visit Russia and Belarus, Foreign Ministry Says
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi speaks during a meeting with foreign ambassadors in Tehran, Iran, July 12, 2025. Photo: Hamid Forootan/Iranian Foreign Ministry/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
Iran‘s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, will visit Russia and Belarus in the next two to three days, foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on Sunday.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Turkmenistan on Friday.