Top Netanyahu Ally Makes The Case For JD Vance To Jewish Republicans

Jewish Republicans were encouraged to give Vice President JD Vance a “warm welcome” ahead of his speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition by former Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer, a close confidant of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Dermer, who served as Israel’s ambassador to the United States from 2013 to 2021 and later as the country’s minister of strategic affairs, spoke to the gathering just before Vance addressed the conference Monday night. He praised Vance’s support for Israel and his role during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in 2025, telling attendees he was grateful for the vice president’s actions at a critical moment.

Dermer’s remarks came as Vance has faced criticism from some in the pro-Israel community over his close relationship with conservative podcaster Tucker Carlson, who has repeatedly platformed numerous antisemites. But Dermer offered the audience a more personal account of his relationship with Vance, recalling that he first met the future vice president when Vance was running for Senate in Ohio.

“I first met the vice president when he was running for Senate,” Dermer said. “I was out of office, and he was running for Senate in Ohio. And somebody suggested, ‘Hey, this person, you know, is going to run. You should really go meet him.’”

Dermer said he and Vance subsequently spent roughly two hours together over lunch in Jerusalem.

“And he was—he’s definitely one of the smartest people that I had met in the Senate,” Dermer said, adding with a joke, “You could say that’s a low bar, but he’s super smart.”

More importantly, Dermer said Vance was focused from the beginning on understanding the strategic rationale behind the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Dermer then turned to Vance’s role during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June 2025, describing the conflict as one of the most significant military successes in Israel’s history.

“And I want to tell this audience something,” Dermer said. “That 12-day war that we did last June, I was out of government when this—this recent joint operation started.”

Dermer said the conflict represented “the greatest and most spectacular military success that Israel has ever had” since the Six-Day War.

He specifically credited Vance with playing a critical role in the operation, particularly during its opening hours, when maintaining an element of surprise was essential.

“The Vice President of the United States, Vice President Vance, played a critical role in that 12-day war, and particularly the first day, where that element of surprise was so critical to our success,” Dermer said.

“And I will be forever grateful for the role that he played at that critical moment,” he continued. “It kept Israel safe, and I commend you for inviting him here tonight.”

Vance received a warm reception when he took the stage Monday night for a conversation with RJC National Chairman and former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman. The discussion was held off the record and closed to the press, but The Daily Wire obtained a full recording.

During the conversation, Coleman directly raised the issue of controversial podcasters, naming Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Joe Rogan and Nick Fuentes, and asked Vance how he determines when to engage with platforms that have given a voice to people accused of holding antisemitic views.

Vance defended his willingness to appear on influential podcasts, arguing that Republicans need to reach voters wherever they are rather than shun controversial figures.

“I do not think that Joe Rogan and Nick Fuentes are the same,” Vance said, drawing a distinction between the two based on both their ideas and their reach.

Vance said he believes Republicans should engage with people like Rogan even when they disagree with things the podcaster has said.

“I think it’s a mistake to sort of say we’re going to write Joe Rogan off because he said something that we don’t like,” Vance said. “I think the best approach is to actually go in there, and talk to him, and make the arguments as best as you can.”

Vance pointed to Rogan’s reach among persuadable voters as evidence that Republicans cannot afford to ignore influential podcasters. He said Republicans had studied podcast audiences in connection with the midterm elections and found that Rogan’s audience included a substantially larger percentage of persuadable voters than those of other major podcasters.

“With Rogan, it’s something like 35 to 40%,” Vance said.

“And so I think that there, one, I do not think that Joe Rogan and Nick Fuentes are the same, just substantively, but as a political matter, I think that we have got to be willing to go everywhere and bring our message anywhere and to any person,” he said.

Vance acknowledged that his approach would mean appearing in environments where hosts or audiences may hold views with which he strongly disagrees.

“You got to meet people where they are and make the arguments as best as you can,” he said. “And that is I think ultimately how you win the political debate. It’s not by shunning people.”

He said there were nevertheless limits to whom he would engage, citing people who had attacked his wife or praised Adolf Hitler.

“But outside of some pretty bright lines, I try to talk to as many people as I can,” Vance said.

Vance did not directly condemn Carlson during the exchange.

The vice president has also faced criticism from prominent Jewish and pro-Israel figures over his own comments about Israel, including remarks suggesting that some Israeli officials have sought to influence American public opinion to prolong the war. 

During an appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Vance accused some Israeli officials of trying to influence American public opinion in order to prolong the war.

“There are some people within their system that we know beyond a shadow of a doubt are manipulating and trying to change American public opinion to keep the war going on indefinitely,” Vance said.

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