Quote:Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats ‘hate Israel’ and their religion



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Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a Buckeye Values PAC rally on Saturday, March 16, 2024, in Vandalia, Ohio. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)



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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., departs after saying he believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “lost his way” and is an obstacle to peace in the region amid a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 14, 2024. Schumer, who is the highest-ranking Jewish official in the U.S., strongly criticized Netanyahu in a lengthy speech and called for Israel to hold new elections. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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[color=var(--color-byline-authors)]BY JILL COLVIN[/color]
Updated 3:03 AM EDT, March 19, 2024

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats “hate Israel” and hate “their religion,” igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.[/color]

Trump, in an interview, had been asked about Democrats’ growing criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his handling of the war in Gaza as the civilian death toll continues to mount.

“I actually think they hate Israel,” Trump responded to his former aide, Sebastian Gorka. “I think they hate Israel. And the Democrat party hates Israel.”

Trump, who last week became the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee, went on to charge: “Any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion. They hate everything about Israel and they should be ashamed of themselves because Israel will be destroyed.”

The comments sparked immediate backlash from the White House, President Joe Biden’s campaign and Jewish leaders. The vast majority of Jewish Americans identify as Democrats, but Trump has often accused them of disloyalty, perpetuating what critics say is an antisemitic trope.

At the White House, spokesperson Andrew Bates cast the comments as “vile and unhinged Antisemitic rhetoric” without mentioning Trump by name.

“As Antisemitic crimes and acts of hate have increased across the world — among them the deadliest attack committed against the Jewish people since the Holocaust — leaders have an obligation to call hate what it is and bring Americans together against it,” he said. “There is no justification for spreading toxic, false stereotypes that threaten fellow citizens. None.”

Biden’s campaign said, “The only person who should be ashamed here is Donald Trump.”
“Trump is going to lose again this November because Americans are sick of his hateful resentment, personal attacks, and extreme agenda,” said spokesman James Singer.

Jonathan Greenblatt, who heads the Anti-Defamation League, said, “Accusing Jews of hating their religion because they might vote for a particular party is defamatory & patently false.”

“Serious leaders who care about the historic US-Israel alliance should focus on strengthening, rather than unraveling, bipartisan support for the State of Israel,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Trump’s comments come as Biden has been facing mounting pressure from the progressive wing of his party over his administration’s support for Israel in its retaliatory offensive in Gaza. More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory.

While Biden continues to back Israel’s right to defend itself, he has increasingly criticized Netanyahu. After his State of the Union speech, he said he needed to have a “come to Jesus” conversation with the Israeli leader. He has also accused Netanyahu of “hurting Israel more than helping Israel,” saying, “he must pay more attention to the innocent lives being lost as a consequence of the actions taken.”

Trump took particular issue with recent comments from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the country’s highest-ranking Jewish official. In a speech last week, Schumer sharply criticized Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza, warning that the civilian toll was damaging Israel’s standing around the world. He also called for Israel to hold new elections.

While the White House formally distanced itself from Schumer’s comments, the Democratic leader and key ally was voicing an opinion increasingly held across Biden’s administration.

Schumer — whom Trump accused of being “very anti-Israel now” — responded by accusing Trump of “making highly partisan and hateful rants.”

“To make Israel a partisan issue only hurts Israel and the US-Israeli relationship,” he wrote on X.

The Pew Research Center reported in 2021 that Jews are “among the most consistently liberal and Democratic groups in the U.S.,” with 7 in 10 Jewish adults identifying with or leaning toward the Democratic Party. In 2020, it found that nearly three-quarters of American Jews disapproved of Trump’s performance as president, with just 27% rating him positively.

Americans have also increasingly soured on Israel’s military operation in Gaza, according to surveys from The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. In January, 50% of U.S. adults said the military response from Israel in the Gaza Strip had gone too far, up from 40% in November.

That number was higher among Democrats, 6 in 10 of whom said the same thing in both surveys.

(03-19-2024, 09:45 AM)GMDino Wrote: According to current head of the republican party Donald J Trump.

https://x.com/SawyerHackett/status/1769869547694088220?s=20

(03-19-2024, 11:31 AM)HarleyDog Wrote: Biden: ‘If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black’

(03-19-2024, 11:33 AM)GMDino Wrote: Ah...whataboutism.  Cool.

How do you feel about what Trump said

(03-19-2024, 11:40 AM)HarleyDog Wrote: Yeah, felt like it fit. As for Trump, that's Trump being Trump. You can't throw stones at only 1 of the candidates when both are guilty of similar statements.

(03-19-2024, 11:24 AM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: They, sadly, have a bit of a point.  Criticizing Israel is fine.  The waters get a little muddy when far left protestors are chanting genocidal chants, echoed by a prominent member of Congress.  It's much harder to criticize a binary choice when it was forced upon you.

(03-19-2024, 11:40 AM)HarleyDog Wrote: Yeah, felt like it fit. As for Trump, that's Trump being Trump. You can't throw stones at only 1 of the candidates when both are guilty of similar statements.

(03-19-2024, 11:49 AM)hollodero Wrote: But the binary choice is between Biden or Trump. Not between far left protesters and Trump, or Tlaib and Trump, as awful as they might be. I feel I could just as well argue that David Duke and other known neonazi groups usually are in support of Trump. That, imho, would not allow me to claim everyone of Jewish faith that is voting for Trump anyways hates Israel, their religion and should be ashamed. A little too far, isn't it.

(03-19-2024, 12:06 PM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: All very true.  I am illustrating that the conduct of many on the left, including members of Congress, make the decision much more difficult than it otherwise would be.  Jewish people ten to vote overwhelmingly Democrat.  It's fair to say that Israel is more broadly supported on the right than it is on the left, at least at this moment in time.  It's also fair to say this is in line with Biden's, "if you don't vote for me, you ain't black."  

(03-19-2024, 12:21 PM)hollodero Wrote: I get that Tlaib and certain more extreme stances might make it difficult for some. I don't know enough about the Jewish communities to determine why they tend to vote Democrat. Maybe they do not agree with your assessments, maybe it's not so much about Israel, maybe they indeed dislike Trump or the more extreme wing of the right that does contain several Nazi groups shouting how 'Jews will not replace us' and whatnot. Whatever the reason, Trump has no right to tell them they should be ashamed and hate their religion when not voting for him. 
Whoever rightfully went after Biden for his ain't black comment (he at least did not tell them they hate blacks and should be ashamed when not voting for him, which for sure does not make it ok) has to have an issue with that Trump comment as well to be consistent. It is, after all, pretty antisemitic on its face and I find it a bit odd to find justifications for that without adding some form of condemnation.

(03-19-2024, 12:13 PM)pally Wrote: This isn't the first time that Trump has said or implied that Jewish Americans should have a greater allegiance to Israel than the United States.  The support of many of the right have for Israel has far more to do with the fulfillment of biblical prophecies that Armageddon will occur with full Jewish control of the holy land than any actual support for the country..  In that scenario, Jews will be wiped off the earth as they don't accept Jesus as the savior.  Only those who accept Jesus will survive Armageddon.  Support of Israel is a means to an end not for any real support of the Jewish people.

And Jewish Americans, like all most of us, vote for their candidates based on the sum total of their political positions.  The evangelical, Christian Nationalist control of today's Republican Party will never ever appeal to the majority of Jewish Americans regardless of their support of Israel.  

Democrats support Israel.  They simply don't think that everything they do is beyond criticism

(03-19-2024, 12:37 PM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: Oh, the comment deserves the exact same level of condemnation, to be sure.

(03-19-2024, 12:37 PM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: I don't know that I'd agree that Trump's is demonstrably worse.

(03-19-2024, 12:37 PM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: As for equal condemnation, that's a two way street.  Maybe Trump says so much stupid shit the impact of the latest one is lessened?

(03-19-2024, 12:37 PM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: As I've frequently pointed out, Trump makes more than enough verbal gaffes, such as this one, that making them up, e.g. bloodbath, seems rather stupid to me.

(03-19-2024, 12:59 PM)hollodero Wrote: OK, good. I didn't really doubt you see it that way, but now whoever comes along and claims you did not condemn it (and usually they do come along) are already proven wrong.

Quote:That is of little importance, imho, which one is worse. I for one would label Trump's comments as antisemitic, I just feel telling Jews they hate their religion and should be ashamed for alleged un-Jewish behaviour is just that no matter the circumstance, but well. It's not for me to determine really.
That groups of the far left have some antisemitic tendencies is without doubt. They deserve condemnation for sure, maybe there's not enough of it (I really don't follow closely enough, but I believe your assessment). Imho, if a presidential candidate says things like that it is more impactful then when some protesters or a widely isolated Congressperson (Tlaib has little support within her own ranks, after all) say stuff, but that does not make the latter ok for sure. Or the former, for that matter.

Quote:I can not quite see it that way really. How often would Biden have to make weird comments about blacks before the impact is lessened? Would it somehow be less bad if he had done it twenty times? I don't know.

Quote:For the record, I still don't totally agree with that in the bloodbath example. It is not exactly made up that he used the term. At the very least, Trump knows that some of his ardent supporters are willing to use violent means. Responsibly, he would have to be extra careful with expressions like that. I would bet there are people that took the bloodbath comment as some form of encouragement to turn violent should Trump lose the "last election". At this point, imho already irresponsible at the very least.
Admittedly though, Trump felt like clarifying the day after, which is why I probably would leave that bloodbath example out if I were to make a list of all nefarious Trump comments. As you said, there are indeed numerous less ambiguous examples around.

(03-19-2024, 02:27 PM)Arturo Bandini Wrote: It's a weird choice to insult people while wanting them to vote for you.

(03-19-2024, 12:39 PM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: Some Democrats support Israel.  And increasingly larger segment of their politicians and voter block does not.

(03-19-2024, 02:06 PM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: Yes, I will concede that the remarks of a major POTUS carry far more weight.  I see what's going on in the Democratic party right now as mirroring the issues that the Labor (I'm not spelling it with a U you damn limeys!) Party is/has dealt with in regard to antisemitism.  There's a strange lack of introspection on the left into the racism of its own members, like it cannot possibly exist or is only a right wing phenomena  It is frequently claimed by many that it's not even possible to be racist towards white people, or that black people cannot be racist.  Both claims being obviously, and ludicrously, false, yet they still enjoy quite a bit of prominence.  It strike me as pointing out the speck in another's eye, while ignoring the log in your own.  Except in this case both eyes have logs in them.

(03-19-2024, 02:06 PM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: My point being that Trump is known for saying over the top crap, hence the impact of them is lessened, whether it should be or not.  It's like the difference in your little brother swearing at the table and your grandmother doing it.  They may be saying the same thing, but the shock of them saying it is not the same.

(03-19-2024, 02:06 PM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: I still think you're giving him far too much credit for being sneaky here.  As I pointed out, the term is used to describe a dire financial result all of the time, to the point that it's in the dictionary as such.  You couple that with the clip being deliberately taken out of context and then the media onslaught of coverage/condemnation and it all looks very deliberate, calculated and intentionally deceitful.  And every time it's done it lends more credence, to more people, of Trump's claim to be the victim of a deliberate campaign by "the swamp" and that he's the only one who can stand between "us and them".