(CNN) — All 14 Republican presidential contenders will descend on Washington Thursday for a conference that was slated to focus on foreign policy but now comes in the shadow of another mass shooting in the United States.
The candidates plan to use their appearances before the Republican Jewish Coalition to boost their pro-Israel bona fides. But the mass shooting in San Bernardino, California — the deadliest since the 2012 massacre in Newtown, Connecticut — once again inserts the issues of violence, security and gun control into the 2016 race.
It will be hard for the White House hopefuls to avoid the topic and some offered a preview of their comments on Wednesday evening.
Ben Carson called the shooting a “hate crime.”
“Look at what happened, again another hate crime in San Bernardino today. At least 14 people killed,” Carson said in South Carolina. “When less than a week ago we had the shooting in Colorado. And then look at all the things that are going on around the world. ISIS and groups like this. Just hatred and evil. And we need to be able to combat these things because otherwise we will melt into despair. And that’s not who we are. This is America.”
Donald Trump held a moment of silence at a rally in Manassas, Virginia, and spoke about the police who responded to the shooting.
“This is when we appreciate our great police and our law enforcement. Remember that. Remember that,” Trump said. “They don’t get enough credit, they should get it and you’re always going to have some bad apples you see it on television.”
Still, the vast majority of the conference will serve as a forum for the candidates to make their foreign policy pitches before the RJC, a group of influential conservative Jews looking for a candidate strong on Israel and for an active U.S. role in the Middle East. With the Paris terrorist attacks and crisis in Syria putting national security in sharp focus in the race, candidates’ performances may speak volumes about their viability with the Republican electorate.
Special attention Thursday will be on GOP front-runner Trump and two senators rising in the polls: Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. Trump led the new Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday morning with 27%; Rubio and Cruz are at 17% and 16%, respectively, with Carson also at 16% as he continues to fall.
Trump announced Wednesday night a planned trip to Israel. And the Florida and Texas senators are both comfortable speaking about foreign policy and have historically pro-Israel stances, with Cruz making targeting evangelical voters a priority, especially as Carson has struggled of late, including on foreign policy issues.
The senators are also vying for support of Sheldon Adelson, the casino magnate expected to spend millions of dollars backing a pro-Israel presidential candidate. Adelson’s spokesman Andy Abboud said the billionaire will not be in attendance.
The audience is larger than just those in the room, however. Gallup polls show that 83% of Republicans side with Israel over Palestinians, up steadily from 53% in 2001, and evangelical voters in particular favor a pro-Israel foreign policy. Thus far in the race, those themes have mostly played out as GOP candidates have railed against President Barack Obama and also his nuclear weapons deal with Iran.
Each candidate gets 30 minutes, which will include opportunities for questions.
Tevi Troy, president of the American Health Policy Institute and a former George W. Bush administration official, said he expects Trump will have to show knowledge and mastery of foreign policy in order to impress the well-informed audience. Cruz and Rubio will have to live up to expectations. Carson has a chance rehabilitate himself on the foreign policy front. The rest of the candidates will be looking to have a breakout performance that could send them back into the top tier.
Jeb Bush, for instance, will come out strongly in support of Israel and highlight his long track record of supporting the Jewish state, said Former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, a co-chairman of Bush’s campaign. Carly Fiorina has often referred to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as her “friend” on the trail. And New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will seek to avoid a repeat of his speech last year to the group, in which he ruffled feathers by referring to “occupied territories,” as he continues to make the case that he is the most experienced candidate in the race on national security.
The Paris attacks have put the spotlight again on ISIS and international terrorism, and that will be reflected at Thursday’s event.
“There’s no question” that the Paris attacks have made the RJC forum even more important, said Cantor, who was the highest ranking Republican Jew before losing a GOP primary in 2014. “We are in the process of nominating and electing a commander in chief. The gravity of the threat that continues to present itself as far as Israel is concerned reflects the gravity of the threat to the free world.”
Winning over the room will have more implications than amplifying a candidate’s image: It will have an impact on the money, as well.
“The RJC is an excellent and skilled organization at bundling dollars in favor of preferred candidates,” Troy said. “This is going to be a chance for candidates to talk candidly in real terms about foreign policy after Paris, in the context of Syria, and I think as a whole Republican candidates are going to be able to contrast their understanding of threats facing the country in contrast to the last seven years.”
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