Leaked audio from a closed-door Republican Jewish Coalition event shows JD Vance promising strong support for Israel, and even that was not enough for parts of the room — bad news for his image as an anti-war conservative.

• The Daily Wire recorded and released the private speech, in which Vance told donors they would "always be on the team."
• He attacked Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, tied rising antisemitism to Muslim immigration, and pitched joint US-Israel missile defense work as a favor to America.
• Israel-first commentators still called him too soft because he described Israel as "one of our best allies" rather than the top one, and admitted the two countries' interests can differ.
• Israel's ambassador told the room Vance hugged him warmly after the June 2025 war, undercutting the dovish image Vance has cultivated in press leaks.
• The pandering lands as three dozen Israeli generals and two former Israeli prime ministers signed a letter accusing Israel of ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.

Outlook: Vance is likely to keep courting pro-Israel donors ahead of 2028, but the leak leaves him distrusted by both the anti-war right and the hardliners he was trying to please.