(TotalConservative.com) – Former President Donald Trump said that any Jewish Americans who vote for the Democratic Party hate the State of Israel and also the Jewish religion, sparking criticism from Jewish leaders and from the White House.
On Monday, March 18, Trump appeared on the Salem News Channel for an interview on the web show of one of his former aides, Sebastian Gorka. During that interview, he was asked about the growing criticism from Democrats toward Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the ongoing war effort in Gaza to weed out Hamas militants. Trump replied to Gorka that he thinks Democrats actually “hate Israel” and that the Democratic Party “hates Israel.”
The presumptive Republican nominee for the upcoming presidential election took his remarks even further, stating that Jewish people who vote for Democratic politicians hate “their religion” and “everything about Israel.” The former president added that “they should be ashamed of themselves” because the Jewish state “will be destroyed” without their support. The remarks immediately sparked backlash from Jewish leaders and the White House.
Andrew Bates, a White House spokesperson, said the former president’s remarks were “vile,” “unhinged,” and “antisemitic.” Bates said that in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas and increased antisemitism, leaders are obligated “to call hate what it is” and unify Americans “against it.” The spokesperson said Trump’s comments were unjustified and spread “toxic, false stereotypes.”
The president’s re-election campaign responded to the remarks and said that Trump is “the only person who should be ashamed.” There was also backlash from the head of the Anti-Defamation League, Jonathan Greenblatt, who said that accusing Jews who “vote for a particular party” of hating their own religion is “defamatory” and “patently false.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, one of the most pro-Israel voices among Democratic lawmakers, diverging from most of their positions, also fired back at the former president. Schumer said Trump has become “very anti-Israel now” and called his remarks “highly partisan” and “hateful.” He said that the comments only hurt Israel.
Although the GOP tends to be the most pro-Israeli, the conflict has created division in both major parties.
Copyright 2024, TotalConservative.com
