Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush unveiled on Friday a Jewish support team to help raise funds and garner backing for his campaign from within the American Jewish community.
Announcing the team of prominent US Jews, Bush vowed to "confront anti-Semitism wherever it exists" and "restore our alliances around the world, especially with the brave and democratic State of Israel."
The team consists of 71 notable individuals, including former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, former US Attorney General Michael Mukasey and current Attorney General of the state of Georgia, Sam Olens.
Bush, the former governor of Florida, gathered the team together for a pre-launch dinner on Thursday in Miami Beach, ahead of the group's first official meeting on Friday morning.
"When I launched my campaign, I was proud to count some long-time friends as my supporters," Bush wrote in a statement posted to his campaign website Jeb2016.com. "They have been with me since my earliest days in Florida, and we have shared great memories together."
"Among them include members of the Jewish community who have welcomed me into their homes for Passover Seder, taken me as a travel companion to Israel and worked with me on issues of shared concern, such as religious freedom, school choice and economic opportunity."
"Having their support has meant so much, and we are looking to build that team," he added.
Bush ranked fourth in a recent survey for the Republican nomination, having fallen substantially from the top spot he held earlier this year.