When an expected 3,000 Israel supporters convene in Washington, D.C., for the Israeli American Council (IAC) National Summit, the three-day event — which kicks off today — will have to strike a delicate emotional balance. 

The summit’s presence in the nation’s capital will be an “important show of influence for the Jewish community” as the presidential election nears, Elan Carr, the group’s CEO, told eJewishPhilanthropy ahead of the gathering.

Its timing just weeks ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks will also allow for a “deeply moving show of commemoration of the tragedy and suffering we have all felt for the last year,” he said.

One of the largest Jewish gatherings of the year, the opening plenary on Thursday evening will focus on commemorating Oct. 7 and feature a keynote address from GOP presidential nominee former President Donald Trump. Carr noted that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, were also invited to speak but declined due to scheduling conflicts. Carr expressed hope that Biden and Harris will send video remarks, but he had not received confirmation as of Wednesday. 

“We’re not concerned” about appearing to be a partisan organization when Trump speaks  “because we made it very clear that we invited the president, vice president and the former president, [and] we have [Biden] administration officials coming,” Carr told eJP.

Trump previously addressed the IAC conference in 2019 when he was president, and Carr served as the Trump administration’s special envoy for monitoring and combating antisemitism in the Trump administration. Over the years, the IAC’s chief funders (to the tune of approximately $20 million) have been the Adelson family, who also donated extensively to Republican candidates. Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson’s widow, Dr. Miriam Adelson, has contributed significantly to Trump’s reelection campaign and is slated to speak at the summit on Saturday.   

Friday’s plenary will focus on the fight against antisemitism, with panels such as “Philanthropists on the front lines: How donors can make a difference for the Jewish people” and “Taking antisemitism to court: A legal solution to antisemitic harassment.” 

Friday’s speakers include British conservative political commentator Douglas Murray; Noa Tishby, former Israeli special envoy for combating antisemitism; Eylon Levy, former Israeli government spokesperson; Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies; and Andrey Kozlov, who was held in Hamas captivity for eight months.  

The third plenary, on Saturday, is “all about the future,” Carr said. “About our kids, our grandkids. It’s about unity and the Abraham Accords, all of the things that we can look forward to in a world where the Jewish people are united and Israeli innovation is celebrated.”

“[We’re] determined to invest in the Jewish and Israeli identity of the next generation, determined to embrace Israeli innovation and everything that means for the world and focusing on the promising future of the U.S.-Israel alliance,” he added. 

Speakers scheduled for Saturday include Ofir Akunis, the Israeli consul general in New York, and Michael Oren, former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. 

Carr said he is not expecting protesters, “but you never know.” The IAC has arranged “extensive security — our own security, and we are working with D.C. metro police,” he said.  

The summit comes as “the stakes are so high today for the Jewish people because of what’s happening in the Middle East and the threats Israel faces,” Carr said. “What’s happening globally with rising antisemitism — there could not possibly be a more important time for IAC to bring our powerful, strong community together and to unite Israeli Americans and Jewish Americans into one community focused on our collective Jewish future. That’s what this conference is about.” 

“We have suffered unfathomably over the last year, but this is about coming together and producing a united community.”