The past 24 hours have cemented President Donald Trump’s reputation as America’s “racist in chief.” After tweeting a hateful diatribe about how four Democratic congresswomen of color should “go back” to where they came from, the President attempted to justify his racism with accusations that these members of Congress are anti-Israel. On Monday morning,
he tweeted that these lawmakers “have made Israel feel abandoned by the U.S.” and cited South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who called them all “anti-America” and “anti-Semitic.”
Many Jewish Americans reject the President’s transparent attempt to divert the country’s attention from his own moral failings, just as we reject his attempts to politicize Israel and the rise of anti-Semitism. The President should recognize that Jews see his 280-characters of hate for what they are – an utter lack of character on his part and a betrayal of the values that truly make America great. Jews have experienced the devastating consequences of hatred and intolerance throughout history and do not want to be used as political pawns in Trump’s Twitter feed.
If the President thought he would win over Jewish support by pandering via tweet, he’s wrong. Seventy-one percent of Jewish voters disapprove of the job he’s doing, according to a recent poll conducted by Greenberg Research. The same poll demonstrates that – of every policy issue – Jewish voters most strongly disapprove of the President’s immigration policies, which appear driven by the xenophobia apparent in his first tweet on Sunday.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/15/opin...etrays-country-and-family-dantonio/index.html
And despite his feigning concern about anti-Semitism,
nearly three-quarters of Jews feel less secure than they did two years ago and the
majority of Jews attribute their rising insecurity to Trump’s policies. More specifically, many are concerned about Trump encouraging right-wing extremism and Republicans tolerating white nationalism within their ranks. In fact, according to a March Gallup poll,
more than 70% of Jews continue to disapprove of Trump and only 16% now identify as Republicans.
Ironically, on Monday – the very day the Trump administration is hosting a summit focused on the rise of anti-Semitism – the President has clearly failed to recognize that bias against one racial or religious group can lead to bias against others. The Summit on Combatting Anti-Semitism held Monday at the Department of Justice should have focused on how the President’s own words and policies have contributed to the near historic levels of anti-Semitic incidents in the United States. Jewish voters know this, which is why nearly 60% of them find President Trump at least partially to blame for the recent synagogue shootings perpetrated by white supremacists in Pittsburgh and Poway.
(full article online)
Despite President Trump's attempt to win over Jewish support, Halie Soifer writes that most Jews recognize his 280-characters of hate for what they are -- an utter lack of character on his part and a betrayal of American values.
www.cnn.com