Donald Trump
Several American Jews have reacted vehemently to former President Donald Trump’s recent remarks accusing Jewish Democrats of betraying their faith.
According to Jonathan Sarna, an American Jewish history professor at Brandeis University, Trump is capitalizing on tensions in the Jewish community.
“For people who hate Donald Trump in the Jewish community, certainly this statement will reinforce their sense that they don’t want to have anything to do with him,” said Sarna.
According to many Jewish leaders in a demographic that has overwhelmingly identified as Democratic and supported President Joe Biden in 2020, Trump’s latest remarks promoted harmful antisemitic stereotypes, portraying Jews as having divided loyalties and claiming that there is only one right way to be Jewish religiously.
Trump’s remarks came following a speech by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the country’s highest-ranking Jewish leader.
Last week, Schumer, a Democrat, severely condemned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the slaughter in Gaza. Schumer urged for new elections in Israel and warned that the civilian toll was harming Israel’s worldwide reputation.
“Any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion,” Trump retorted Monday on a talk show. “They hate everything about Israel.”
A slew of Jewish voices, including Schumer, the Anti-Defamation League, and religious leaders, condemned Trump’s remarks.
In a statement to The Associated Press on Wednesday, the Trump campaign reaffirmed its criticism of Schumer, congressional Democrats’ support for Palestinians, and the Biden administration’s policy on Iran and Gaza aid.
According to a Pew Research Centre report from 2020, approximately 10% of American Jews are immigrants. Sarna stated that the biggest numbers are conservative.
At the same time, Democrats face a divide between its Jewish constituency, which is overwhelmingly pro-Israel, and its progressive wing, which is more pro-Palestinian.
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