With a painting of George Washington in the background, U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during his meeting with Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S. August 20, 2019. (photo credit: KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS)
Jewish leaders and groups reacted to comment’s by US President Donald Trump saying that “I think any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat — I think it shows either total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty.”
Halie Soifer, executive director of Jewish Democratic Council of America, called the president’s remarks “yet another example of Donald Trump continuing to weaponize and politicize antisemitism.
“At a time when antisemitic incidents have increased — due to the president’s emboldening of white nationalism — Trump is repeating an antisemitic trope,” Soifer said in a statement. “If this is about Israel, then Trump is repeating a dual loyalty claim, which is a form of antisemitism. If this is about Jews being ‘loyal’ to him, then Trump needs a reality check. We live in a democracy, and Jewish support for the Republican Party has been halved in the past four years.”
The American Jewish Committee (AJC) likewise sharply criticized Trump’s remarks.
“Enough, Mr. President,” the organization tweeted. “American Jews – like all Americans – have a range of political views. Your assessment of their knowledge or loyalty, based on their party preference, is divisive, disrespectful, and unwelcome. Please stop. “
President Trump’s “assessment of [American Jews’] knowledge or ‘loyalty,’ based on their party preference, is inappropriate, unwelcome, and downright dangerous.”
Read AJC’s full statement in response to the President’s comments today.https://t.co/VHEFh8smus pic.twitter.com/UXftWN5Qdj
— AJC (@AJCGlobal) August 20, 2019
AJC’s CEO, David Harris, added that “for the President to assert that Jews who vote Democratic show ‘disloyalty’ is outrageous. This is a free country. Jews aren’t a monolithic bloc, nor single-issue voters/ Some will vote Democratic, others Republican. As Americans, that’s their right. Please keep loyalty out of it.”
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, joined the criticism. He tweeted, “It’s unclear who the president is claiming Jews would be ‘disloyal’ to, but charges of disloyalty have long been used to attack Jews.
“As we’ve said before, it’s possible to engage in the democratic process without these claims. It’s long overdue to stop using Jews as a political football.”
It’s unclear who @POTUS is claiming Jews would be “disloyal” to, but charges of disloyalty have long been used to attack Jews. As we’ve said before, it’s possible to engage in the democratic process w/o these claims. It’s long overdue to stop using Jews as a political football.
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) August 20, 2019
Politicians, too, pushed back at the president.
“The President accused most American Jews of being disloyal,” Rep. Ted Deutch of Florida told CNN shortly after Trump’s remarks. “That’s not just deeply and personally offensive, it’s extremely dangerous.”
He called on “everyone who cares about our democracy” to condemn Trump’s comments.
The President accused most American Jews of being disloyal. That’s not just deeply & personally offensive, it’s extremely dangerous.
Is he suggesting American Jews are disloyal to him? To our country?
Everyone who cares about our democracy must condemn these outrageous comments pic.twitter.com/RaVI2nIbro— Rep. Ted Deutch (@RepTedDeutch) August 20, 2019
Also, Senator Jackie Rosen of Nevada said that “questioning the loyalty of American Jews is antisemitic. This is unacceptable, and it’s something we must call out and confront head on.”
And former Ambassador of the United States of America to the State of Israel, Dan Shapiro, tweeted that Trump is “disgusting.”
He’s disgusting, of course. But this deserves to be mocked, even more than condemned. He’s literally pushing the Jewish Democratic vote higher every time he speaks. https://t.co/snO6rGj5Aw
— Dan Shapiro (@DanielBShapiro) August 20, 2019
“He’s disgusting, of course,” wrote Shapiro. “But this deserves to be mocked, even more than condemned. He’s literally pushing the Jewish Democratic vote higher every time he speaks.”
There is huge, tectonic, hopefully not irreversible damage being done. None of it is funny.
But tonight it occurs to me that the right strategy might just be to mock Trump mercilessly. He’s terrible, offensive, dangerous, and the rest.
But he’s also ridiculous. Say it.
— Dan Shapiro (@DanielBShapiro) August 21, 2019
Senator Bernie Sanders responded to the controversial comments, saying “I am a proud Jewish person and I have no concerns about voting Democrat.”
My message to Trump: I am a proud Jewish person and I have no concerns about voting Democratic. pic.twitter.com/vNEQfRnb5f
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) August 21, 2019
Sanders added a video in which he joked he means to “vote for a Jewish man to become the next president of the United States,” meaning himself.
Only the Republican Jewish Coalition defended Trump on Tuesday.
“President Trump is right, it shows a great deal of disloyalty to oneself to defend a party that protects/emboldens people that hate you for your religion,” the organization tweeted. “The GOP, when rarely confronted with antisemitism of elected members always acts swiftly and decisively to punish and remove.”
President Trump is right, it shows a great deal of disloyalty to oneself to defend a party that protects/emboldens people that hate you for your religion. The @GOP, when rarely confronted w/anti-Semitism of elected members always acts swiftly and decisively to punish and remove. https://t.co/mEBgd84qkf
— RJC (@RJC) August 20, 2019
var cont = `Join Jerusalem Post Premium Plus now for just $5 and upgrade your experience with an ads-free website and exclusive content. Click here>>
`; document.getElementById(“linkPremium”).innerHTML = cont; (function (v, i){ });
Comments are closed.