Donald Trump targets American Jews over Israel, says those who vote for Democrats are disloyal; renews willingness to play politics along religious lines
FirstpostShowing a fresh willingness to play politics along religious and racial lines, US president Donald Trump said Tuesday that American Jewish people who vote for Democrats show “either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty.” Washington: Showing a fresh willingness to play politics along religious and racial lines, US president Donald Trump said Tuesday that American Jewish people who vote for Democrats show “either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty.” Trump’s claim triggered a quick uproar from critics who said the president was trading in anti-Semitic stereotypes. “I think any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat, I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty.” At Trump’s urging, Israel last week blocked Omar and Tlaib from entering the country. “This is yet another example of Donald Trump continuing to weaponise and politicise anti-Semitism,” said Halie Soifer, executive director of the Jewish Democratic Council of America. “At a time when anti-Semitic incidents have increased — due to the president’s emboldening of white nationalism — Trump is repeating an anti-Semitic trope.” Logan Bayroff of the liberal J Street pro-Israel group said it was “no surprise that the president’s racist, disingenuous attacks on progressive women of colour in Congress have now transitioned into smears against Jews.” “It is dangerous and shameful for President Trump to attack the large majority of the American Jewish community as unintelligent and ‘disloyal,’” Bayroff said.