Topline
Jewish advocacy groups criticized former President Donald Trump for sharing a post on Truth Social that blames “liberal Jews” who didn’t support him for casting votes “to destroy America & Israel,” adding to a long history of controversial comments from Trump about Jewish Americans.
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump arrives to address the Pray Vote … [+] Stand Summit at the Omni Shoreham Hotel on September 15, 2023, in Washington, D.C. The summit featured multiple 2024 Republican presidential candidates making their case to the conservative audience members.
Key Facts
Trump shared a flier that promotes a number of policies he implemented as president involving Israel, antisemitism and Holocaust education and tells “liberal Jews” they “voted to destroy America & Israel because [they] believed false narratives!”
The flier, which Trump shared on the last day of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, wishes Jewish people a “Happy New Year!” and tells those who did not vote for Trump, “Let’s hope you learned from your mistake & make better choices moving forward!”
The flier was created by the group JEXIT, which advocates for Jewish voters to defect from the Democratic party, according to the Washington Post.
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called the message “dangerous and wrong” in a statement to Forbes and accused Trump of “playing into conspiracy theories about dual loyalty . . . on one of the holiest days of the Jewish calendar,” referring to the antisemitic trope that suggests Jewish Americans are inherently disloyal to the United States, particularly in the context of discussing their relationship with Israel.
Jewish Democratic Council of America CEO Halie Soifer highlighted Trump’s history of controversial statements about Jewish people, and said his most recent post is a repeat of “the same depraved antisemitic threats & tropes.”
CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs Amy Spitalnick also called the post “antisemitic,” while the American Jewish Committee said the message “is deeply offensive and divisive” and urged “political candidates from the top to the bottom of the ballot to avoid incendiary rhetoric.”
Crucial Quote
Jexit founder Michelle Terris told the Washington Post Trump shared the flier after having dinner with Jexit board member and former Real Housewives of New Jersey cast member Siggy Flicker over the weekend. “We believe he shared it on Truth Social because he is so proud of his record of support for the Jewish community in America and for the state of Israel,” Terris said.
Key Background
The flier promotes several policies Trump implemented as president, including moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights—a formerly Syrian territory that has been disputed since Israel took it over during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War—and signing an executive order that offered Jewish people new protections under the Civil Rights Act. “Clearly, one of the greatest Anti Semites of our time!” the poster states with the hashtag #Trump2020. The post also refers to anti-Trump Jewish voters as “sheep” and asks “what Natzi/Anti Semite ever did this for the Jewish people or Israel?”
Tangent
Trump has repeatedly drawn criticism for complaints about his level of Jewish support that appear to echo antisemitic tropes. In 2016, he told an audience at the Republican Jewish Coalition he didn’t want their financial support because they “want to control your politicians,” adding, “I’m a negotiator—like you folks.” He has also attacked Jewish Americans for a purported lack of loyalty to him and Israel. In 2021, he told an Israeli journalist he believes “evangelical Christians love Israel more than the Jews in this country” and said the New York Times “hates Israel” even though “they’re Jewish people that run” the paper, referring to longtime publishers, the Sulzberger family. He was also widely criticized for dining at Mar-A-Lago in November with Kanye West, who has made a string of antisemitic statements in recent years, and white supremacist Nick Fuentes.
Further Reading
Trump Says Jewish Americans ‘No Longer Love Israel’ In Bizarre Interview (Forbes)
Trump Asked If Filmmaker Was ‘Good Jewish Character’ While Criticizing U.S. Jews, Report Says (Forbes)
