24 aug 2019
A new report has criticized foreigners' enlistment in the Israeli military, raising alarm at the spike in the number of lone soldiers committing suicide.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Saturday that close to 3,500 lone soldiers without immediate family in the occupied territories are serving in the Israeli army.
About 1,200 of them come from North America, a similar number from the former Soviet Union and the remainder from other countries.
Foreigners make up a minor percent of Israeli army personnel, but the suicide rate is high among them, according to the report.
"Although soldiers whose parents do not live in Israel comprise only 2 percent of all recruits to the IDF (the Israeli army), they accounted for a disproportionately high share of military suicides in the past year," it said.
In 2018, the number of overall suicides in the Israeli army dropped by nearly half to nine, compared with the previous year. However among those nine suicides, two were lone soldiers.
In the first six months of 2019, there were another two self-murders by lone soldiers, with a third death under investigation as a possible suicide.
Last week, Major General Moti Almoz, head of the Israeli army's manpower directorate, sent out a letter to all senior commanders with the following subject headline, “Preventing suicide in the IDF,” including a part referring specifically to lone soldiers.
A Haaretz investigation revealed failings in the lone soldier program, adding that the program continues to be nurtured and encouraged because so many fundraising organizations and regime-funded initiatives have a vested interest in keeping it going.
"By the time many of them join the army, it is often too late to address their problems. It shows that Israel does not undertake adequate background checks before putting these young men and women in harm’s way; that many of the young recruits do not sufficiently comprehend what military life in Israel entails; that large numbers lack the proficiency in Hebrew and familiarity with Israeli culture required for successful adaptation; and that many see the army as a form of escape from difficulties and challenges they face back home," it said.
A former high-ranking officer, who had close interaction with many of lone soldiers, said there are problems is the vetting system, noting, “The holes in the filter are way too big."
Arthur Lenk, ex-Israeli ambassador to South Africa and a former lone soldier himself, stressed that in addition to serious holes in the vetting system, foreign volunteers lack information about the army.
“The IDF is not the French Foreign Legion. We are not a volunteer army, nor need we be in 2019,” he said. “We draft lots of our own kids, and there’s no reason we should be taking in mercenaries.”
A., a former lone soldier from Canada, admitted that he had lied about his history of opioid abuse when he joined the Israeli army.
"They just asked if I took drugs in the past and I said that I hadn’t,” he said. “The army didn’t even ask if my parents knew I was enlisting, or try to contact them."
Shifra Shahar, CEO of A Warm Home for Every Soldier NGO, described Machal, a shorter volunteer service, as "totally irrelevant and unnecessary in this day and age."
“Most of them (lone soldiers) come here to escape problems back home. They can’t find work, they have no inclination to study, they’re the black sheep of their families.
Many come from broken homes. Some even have criminal records. And someone out there has somehow succeeded in convincing them or their parents that the Israeli army will straighten them out. Unfortunately, in most cases the army only aggravates whatever problems they already have," she said.
Yagil Levy, a political sociology and public policy professor at the Open University of Israel, said he did not anticipate any major rethinking of the lone soldier project despite its problems.
“There is definitely a big interest on the part of Diaspora Jewry — especially in the United States – in keeping it going as part of the greater Zionist project,” he said.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Saturday that close to 3,500 lone soldiers without immediate family in the occupied territories are serving in the Israeli army.
About 1,200 of them come from North America, a similar number from the former Soviet Union and the remainder from other countries.
Foreigners make up a minor percent of Israeli army personnel, but the suicide rate is high among them, according to the report.
"Although soldiers whose parents do not live in Israel comprise only 2 percent of all recruits to the IDF (the Israeli army), they accounted for a disproportionately high share of military suicides in the past year," it said.
In 2018, the number of overall suicides in the Israeli army dropped by nearly half to nine, compared with the previous year. However among those nine suicides, two were lone soldiers.
In the first six months of 2019, there were another two self-murders by lone soldiers, with a third death under investigation as a possible suicide.
Last week, Major General Moti Almoz, head of the Israeli army's manpower directorate, sent out a letter to all senior commanders with the following subject headline, “Preventing suicide in the IDF,” including a part referring specifically to lone soldiers.
A Haaretz investigation revealed failings in the lone soldier program, adding that the program continues to be nurtured and encouraged because so many fundraising organizations and regime-funded initiatives have a vested interest in keeping it going.
"By the time many of them join the army, it is often too late to address their problems. It shows that Israel does not undertake adequate background checks before putting these young men and women in harm’s way; that many of the young recruits do not sufficiently comprehend what military life in Israel entails; that large numbers lack the proficiency in Hebrew and familiarity with Israeli culture required for successful adaptation; and that many see the army as a form of escape from difficulties and challenges they face back home," it said.
A former high-ranking officer, who had close interaction with many of lone soldiers, said there are problems is the vetting system, noting, “The holes in the filter are way too big."
Arthur Lenk, ex-Israeli ambassador to South Africa and a former lone soldier himself, stressed that in addition to serious holes in the vetting system, foreign volunteers lack information about the army.
“The IDF is not the French Foreign Legion. We are not a volunteer army, nor need we be in 2019,” he said. “We draft lots of our own kids, and there’s no reason we should be taking in mercenaries.”
A., a former lone soldier from Canada, admitted that he had lied about his history of opioid abuse when he joined the Israeli army.
"They just asked if I took drugs in the past and I said that I hadn’t,” he said. “The army didn’t even ask if my parents knew I was enlisting, or try to contact them."
Shifra Shahar, CEO of A Warm Home for Every Soldier NGO, described Machal, a shorter volunteer service, as "totally irrelevant and unnecessary in this day and age."
“Most of them (lone soldiers) come here to escape problems back home. They can’t find work, they have no inclination to study, they’re the black sheep of their families.
Many come from broken homes. Some even have criminal records. And someone out there has somehow succeeded in convincing them or their parents that the Israeli army will straighten them out. Unfortunately, in most cases the army only aggravates whatever problems they already have," she said.
Yagil Levy, a political sociology and public policy professor at the Open University of Israel, said he did not anticipate any major rethinking of the lone soldier project despite its problems.
“There is definitely a big interest on the part of Diaspora Jewry — especially in the United States – in keeping it going as part of the greater Zionist project,” he said.
21 aug 2019
President hits back after accusations of using anti-Semitic trope alleging Jews have dual loyalty during his attacks on Muslim congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar; comments earn condemnation from Jewish groups across spectrum; Rivlin calls Pelosi to stress bipartisan nature of ties
U.S. President Donald Trump beat back criticism of his comments accusing American Jews who vote for Democrats of "great disloyalty" and went a step further on Wednesday, saying any vote for a Democrat is a vote against Israel.
"I think that if you vote for a Democrat you are very, very disloyal to Israel and to the Jewish people," Trump told reporters as he left the White House.
The Republican president drew outrage on Tuesday from Democratic presidential candidates and U.S. Jewish groups after accusing American Jews who vote for Democrats of "great disloyalty."
Critics said Trump's comments echoed an anti-Semitic trope accusing American Jews of dual loyalties to the United States and Israel.
Trump initially responded on Twitter on Wednesday by quoting a conservative columnist as saying American Jews "don't know what they're doing." The Republican president thanked the commentator, Wayne Allyn Root, who likened Trump to the "king of Israel" and said Israelis "love him like he is the second coming of God."
The comments about Israel followed Trump's attacks on a group of first-term Democrats in Congress, U.S. Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, who were denied entry to Israel last week after Trump pressured the government.
"Where has the Democratic Party gone? Where have they gone where they're defending these two people over the state of Israel? And I think any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat, I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty," Trump said on Tuesday, without specifying what or who they were being disloyal to.
Those remarks sparked a swift backlash.
"My message to Trump: I am a proud Jewish person and I have no concerns about voting Democratic," Senator Bernie Sanders, a leader in the race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination and an independent, wrote in a Twitter post late on Tuesday.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, the current front-runner to challenge Trump in November 2020, called the president's comments "insulting and inexcusable" and urged him to stop dividing Americans.
"The Jewish people don't need to prove their loyalty to you, @realDonaldTrump - or to anyone else," said Democratic candidate Beto O'Rourke, a former U.S. congressman from Texas who has called Trump a racist over his immigration rhetoric. tweet
American Jews lean Democratic. Roughly 70 percent of American Jews have typically supported Democratic candidates in recent U.S. presidential elections.
J Street, a liberal lobbying group based in Washington, was among the many U.S. Jewish organizations that expressed outrage or alarm at Trump's comments.
"It is dangerous and shameful for President Trump to attack the large majority of the American Jewish community as unintelligent and 'disloyal,'" the group said on Tuesday.
Said Anti-Defamation League leader Jonathan Greenblatt, "It's unclear who @POTUS is claiming Jews would be 'disloyal' to, but charges of disloyalty have long been used to attack Jews."
The American Jewish Committee called Trump's comments "shockingly divisive."
"American Jews - like all Americans - have a range of political views and policy priorities. His assessment of their knowledge or "loyalty," based on their party preference, is inappropriate, unwelcome, and downright dangerous," said committee Chief Executive David Harris.
The Republican Jewish Committee sided with Trump, saying, "President Trump is right, it shows a great deal of disloyalty to oneself to defend a party that protects/emboldens people that hate you for your religion."
Trump is popular in Israel. He delighted many Israelis - while appalling other world powers - by recognizing Jerusalem as their capital, moving the U.S. Embassy there, withdrawing from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights.
The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which has particularly close ties with the Trump administration, declined to comment on his remarks.
President Reuven Rivlin wrote on Twitter that he had spoken with House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top U.S. elected Democrat, about strong U.S.-Israel relations he said were "not dependent on the links with either party." tweet
Trump has for weeks been attacking Tlaib and Omar, accusing them of hostility to Israel and anti-Semitism. He repeated his attacks on Tlaib on Wednesday, accusing her on Twitter of wanting to cut off aid to Israel, a U.S. ally that has long enjoyed bipartisan support.
In February, Omar, who along with Tlaib supports a boycott of Israel over its policies toward the Palestinians, said U.S. Jews have divided loyalties. She apologized for those remarks after being widely condemned by many in her own party.
Most Democrats disagree with Tlaib and Omar's views on Israel, but Trump's attacks on them have rallied support for the two within their party.
U.S. President Donald Trump beat back criticism of his comments accusing American Jews who vote for Democrats of "great disloyalty" and went a step further on Wednesday, saying any vote for a Democrat is a vote against Israel.
"I think that if you vote for a Democrat you are very, very disloyal to Israel and to the Jewish people," Trump told reporters as he left the White House.
The Republican president drew outrage on Tuesday from Democratic presidential candidates and U.S. Jewish groups after accusing American Jews who vote for Democrats of "great disloyalty."
Critics said Trump's comments echoed an anti-Semitic trope accusing American Jews of dual loyalties to the United States and Israel.
Trump initially responded on Twitter on Wednesday by quoting a conservative columnist as saying American Jews "don't know what they're doing." The Republican president thanked the commentator, Wayne Allyn Root, who likened Trump to the "king of Israel" and said Israelis "love him like he is the second coming of God."
The comments about Israel followed Trump's attacks on a group of first-term Democrats in Congress, U.S. Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, who were denied entry to Israel last week after Trump pressured the government.
"Where has the Democratic Party gone? Where have they gone where they're defending these two people over the state of Israel? And I think any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat, I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty," Trump said on Tuesday, without specifying what or who they were being disloyal to.
Those remarks sparked a swift backlash.
"My message to Trump: I am a proud Jewish person and I have no concerns about voting Democratic," Senator Bernie Sanders, a leader in the race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination and an independent, wrote in a Twitter post late on Tuesday.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, the current front-runner to challenge Trump in November 2020, called the president's comments "insulting and inexcusable" and urged him to stop dividing Americans.
"The Jewish people don't need to prove their loyalty to you, @realDonaldTrump - or to anyone else," said Democratic candidate Beto O'Rourke, a former U.S. congressman from Texas who has called Trump a racist over his immigration rhetoric. tweet
American Jews lean Democratic. Roughly 70 percent of American Jews have typically supported Democratic candidates in recent U.S. presidential elections.
J Street, a liberal lobbying group based in Washington, was among the many U.S. Jewish organizations that expressed outrage or alarm at Trump's comments.
"It is dangerous and shameful for President Trump to attack the large majority of the American Jewish community as unintelligent and 'disloyal,'" the group said on Tuesday.
Said Anti-Defamation League leader Jonathan Greenblatt, "It's unclear who @POTUS is claiming Jews would be 'disloyal' to, but charges of disloyalty have long been used to attack Jews."
The American Jewish Committee called Trump's comments "shockingly divisive."
"American Jews - like all Americans - have a range of political views and policy priorities. His assessment of their knowledge or "loyalty," based on their party preference, is inappropriate, unwelcome, and downright dangerous," said committee Chief Executive David Harris.
The Republican Jewish Committee sided with Trump, saying, "President Trump is right, it shows a great deal of disloyalty to oneself to defend a party that protects/emboldens people that hate you for your religion."
Trump is popular in Israel. He delighted many Israelis - while appalling other world powers - by recognizing Jerusalem as their capital, moving the U.S. Embassy there, withdrawing from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights.
The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which has particularly close ties with the Trump administration, declined to comment on his remarks.
President Reuven Rivlin wrote on Twitter that he had spoken with House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top U.S. elected Democrat, about strong U.S.-Israel relations he said were "not dependent on the links with either party." tweet
Trump has for weeks been attacking Tlaib and Omar, accusing them of hostility to Israel and anti-Semitism. He repeated his attacks on Tlaib on Wednesday, accusing her on Twitter of wanting to cut off aid to Israel, a U.S. ally that has long enjoyed bipartisan support.
In February, Omar, who along with Tlaib supports a boycott of Israel over its policies toward the Palestinians, said U.S. Jews have divided loyalties. She apologized for those remarks after being widely condemned by many in her own party.
Most Democrats disagree with Tlaib and Omar's views on Israel, but Trump's attacks on them have rallied support for the two within their party.
Israeli officials keep mum on U.S. president’s comment that Jews who vote for Democrats are ‘disloyal’, saying they prefer not to intervene in American politics, despite criticism from various Jewish groups that swiftly distanced themselves from the contentious statement
Israeli officials on Wednesday offered a muted response to remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump who said American Jews who vote for the Democratic Party were 'disloyal.'
Referring to Democratic Congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib who, who under pressure from Trump were denied entry to Israel last week, the president told reporters on Tuesday at the Oval Office: "Where has the Democratic Party gone? Where have they gone where they're defending these two people over the state of Israel. And I think any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat, I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty."
Jewish groups in the United States were outraged by Trump's comment, but the Israeli government, which has particularly close ties with the Trump administration, appeared to hold back.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office declined to comment on Trump's remarks. Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, when asked about Trump's statement, told Reshet Bet Radio: "We must not intervene in the political disagreements in the United States. We keep good relations with both the Democrats and Republicans and we must continue to do so.
"We have supporters and friends in both parties, among the Democrats and Republicans, Jews and non Jews and we embrace them all," he said.
Trump and Netanyahu have been in lock-step over policies towards Iran and the Palestinians and the prime minister has touted their close ties as he heads to a national election on September 17.
TRUMP TARGETS "THE SQUAD"
Trump has for weeks been attacking Tlaib and Omar, along with lawmakers Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley - all women of colour known as "The Squad." He has accused them of hostility to Israel in a barrage condemned by critics as racist.
While Trump says he is not a racist his comments have drawn widespread criticism, including from Republicans.
Most Democrats disagree with the views of Tlaib and Omar on Israel but Trump's repeated attacks have rallied support for the two among their party.
The president in turn has tried to paint that support as an endorsement of the two lawmakers' position and sought to make them the face of the party.
J Street, a liberal Jewish-American lobbying group, said in a statement on Tuesday: "It is dangerous and shameful for President Trump to attack the large majority of the American Jewish community as unintelligent and 'disloyal.'"
"But it is no surprise that the president's racist, disingenuous attacks on progressive women of color in Congress have now transitioned into smears against Jews," J Street said.
U.S. Jewish group, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) said it was outraged by Trump's comments.
"The president's comments are shockingly divisive and unbecoming of the occupant of the highest elected office," said AJC CEO David Harris.
"American Jews like all Americans have a range of political views and policy priorities. His assessment of their knowledge or loyalty, based on their party preference, is inappropriate, unwelcome, and downright dangerous," Harris said.
Tlaib and Omar represent districts in states Trump is aiming to win in his 2020 re-election campaign: Michigan, which he narrowly won in 2016, and Minnesota, which he narrowly lost.
Israeli officials on Wednesday offered a muted response to remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump who said American Jews who vote for the Democratic Party were 'disloyal.'
Referring to Democratic Congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib who, who under pressure from Trump were denied entry to Israel last week, the president told reporters on Tuesday at the Oval Office: "Where has the Democratic Party gone? Where have they gone where they're defending these two people over the state of Israel. And I think any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat, I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty."
Jewish groups in the United States were outraged by Trump's comment, but the Israeli government, which has particularly close ties with the Trump administration, appeared to hold back.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office declined to comment on Trump's remarks. Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, when asked about Trump's statement, told Reshet Bet Radio: "We must not intervene in the political disagreements in the United States. We keep good relations with both the Democrats and Republicans and we must continue to do so.
"We have supporters and friends in both parties, among the Democrats and Republicans, Jews and non Jews and we embrace them all," he said.
Trump and Netanyahu have been in lock-step over policies towards Iran and the Palestinians and the prime minister has touted their close ties as he heads to a national election on September 17.
TRUMP TARGETS "THE SQUAD"
Trump has for weeks been attacking Tlaib and Omar, along with lawmakers Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley - all women of colour known as "The Squad." He has accused them of hostility to Israel in a barrage condemned by critics as racist.
While Trump says he is not a racist his comments have drawn widespread criticism, including from Republicans.
Most Democrats disagree with the views of Tlaib and Omar on Israel but Trump's repeated attacks have rallied support for the two among their party.
The president in turn has tried to paint that support as an endorsement of the two lawmakers' position and sought to make them the face of the party.
J Street, a liberal Jewish-American lobbying group, said in a statement on Tuesday: "It is dangerous and shameful for President Trump to attack the large majority of the American Jewish community as unintelligent and 'disloyal.'"
"But it is no surprise that the president's racist, disingenuous attacks on progressive women of color in Congress have now transitioned into smears against Jews," J Street said.
U.S. Jewish group, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) said it was outraged by Trump's comments.
"The president's comments are shockingly divisive and unbecoming of the occupant of the highest elected office," said AJC CEO David Harris.
"American Jews like all Americans have a range of political views and policy priorities. His assessment of their knowledge or loyalty, based on their party preference, is inappropriate, unwelcome, and downright dangerous," Harris said.
Tlaib and Omar represent districts in states Trump is aiming to win in his 2020 re-election campaign: Michigan, which he narrowly won in 2016, and Minnesota, which he narrowly lost.
This is not the first time Trump has been criticized for remarks seen as anti-Semitic; In 2015, as a candidate he told Republican Jewish Coalition 'You’re not going to support me because I don’t want your money, you want to control your politicians'
Showing a fresh willingness to play politics along religious lines, 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. It came amid his ongoing feud with Democratic congresswomen Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, both Muslim.
Trump has closely aligned himself with Israel, including its conservative prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while the Muslim lawmakers have been outspoken critics of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians. Tlaib is a U.S.-born Palestinian American, while Omar was born in Somalia.
“Where has the Democratic Party gone? Where have they gone where they are defending these two people over the state of Israel?” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “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. Israel later agreed to a humanitarian visit for Tlaib to visit her grandmother, who lives in the West Bank. Tlaib declined, saying her grandmother had ultimately urged her not to come under what they considered to be humiliating circumstances.
Trump called Omar a “disaster” for Jews and said he didn’t “buy” the tears that Tlaib shed Monday as she discussed the situation. Both congresswomen support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, a global protest of Israel.
Trump’s comments were denounced swiftly by Jewish American organizations.
“This is yet another example of Donald Trump continuing to weaponize and politicize 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 color 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. A number of groups noted that accusations of disloyalty have long been made against Jews, including in Europe during the 1930s.
Ann Lewis and Mark Mellman of Democratic Majority for Israel called it "one of the most dangerous, deadly accusations Jews have faced over the years. False charges of disloyalty over the centuries have led to Jews being murdered, jailed and tortured."
The Republican Jewish Coalition defended Trump, arguing that the president was speaking about people being disloyal to themselves rather than to Israel.
"President Trump is right, it shows a great deal of disloyalty to oneself to defend a party that protects/emboldens people that hate you for your religion," the group said in a tweet. "The @GOP, when rarely confronted w/anti-Semitism of elected members always acts swiftly and decisively to punish and remove."
American Jews don't necessarily support everything that Israel does, nor are most single-issue voters.
Recent polling shows that a majority of Jews identify as Democrats.
According to AP VoteCast, a survey of the 2018 electorate, 72% of Jewish voters supported Democratic House candidates in 2018. Similarly, 74% said they disapprove of how Trump is handling his job.
A Pew Research Center poll conducted in April found that among Jewish Americans, 42% said Trump is favoring the Israelis too much, 6% said he's favoring the Palestinians too much and 47% said he's striking the right balance. Jews were more likely than Christians to say Trump favors the Israelis too much, 42% to 26%.
Omar was roundly criticized by members of both parties for saying during a town hall earlier this year that she wanted to discuss "the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country."
This is not the first time Trump has been criticized for remarks seen by some as anti-Semitic. In 2015, Trump, then a candidate, spoke to the Republican Jewish Coalition and made a similar comment.
"You're not going to support me because I don't want your money," he said then. "You want to control your politicians, that's fine."
Later in the campaign, he tweeted a graphic critical of his opponent Hillary Clinton that featured a six-pointed star, a pile of cash and the words "most corrupt candidate ever." The star was believed by many to be the Star of David, which is featured on the Israeli flag. The campaign denied that the star carried any special meaning.
The president first attacked Omar and Tlaib, and two other Democratic congresswomen of color, last month by telling them to "go back" to their home countries. All four are United States citizens.
Showing a fresh willingness to play politics along religious lines, 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. It came amid his ongoing feud with Democratic congresswomen Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, both Muslim.
Trump has closely aligned himself with Israel, including its conservative prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while the Muslim lawmakers have been outspoken critics of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians. Tlaib is a U.S.-born Palestinian American, while Omar was born in Somalia.
“Where has the Democratic Party gone? Where have they gone where they are defending these two people over the state of Israel?” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “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. Israel later agreed to a humanitarian visit for Tlaib to visit her grandmother, who lives in the West Bank. Tlaib declined, saying her grandmother had ultimately urged her not to come under what they considered to be humiliating circumstances.
Trump called Omar a “disaster” for Jews and said he didn’t “buy” the tears that Tlaib shed Monday as she discussed the situation. Both congresswomen support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, a global protest of Israel.
Trump’s comments were denounced swiftly by Jewish American organizations.
“This is yet another example of Donald Trump continuing to weaponize and politicize 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 color 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. A number of groups noted that accusations of disloyalty have long been made against Jews, including in Europe during the 1930s.
Ann Lewis and Mark Mellman of Democratic Majority for Israel called it "one of the most dangerous, deadly accusations Jews have faced over the years. False charges of disloyalty over the centuries have led to Jews being murdered, jailed and tortured."
The Republican Jewish Coalition defended Trump, arguing that the president was speaking about people being disloyal to themselves rather than to Israel.
"President Trump is right, it shows a great deal of disloyalty to oneself to defend a party that protects/emboldens people that hate you for your religion," the group said in a tweet. "The @GOP, when rarely confronted w/anti-Semitism of elected members always acts swiftly and decisively to punish and remove."
American Jews don't necessarily support everything that Israel does, nor are most single-issue voters.
Recent polling shows that a majority of Jews identify as Democrats.
According to AP VoteCast, a survey of the 2018 electorate, 72% of Jewish voters supported Democratic House candidates in 2018. Similarly, 74% said they disapprove of how Trump is handling his job.
A Pew Research Center poll conducted in April found that among Jewish Americans, 42% said Trump is favoring the Israelis too much, 6% said he's favoring the Palestinians too much and 47% said he's striking the right balance. Jews were more likely than Christians to say Trump favors the Israelis too much, 42% to 26%.
Omar was roundly criticized by members of both parties for saying during a town hall earlier this year that she wanted to discuss "the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country."
This is not the first time Trump has been criticized for remarks seen by some as anti-Semitic. In 2015, Trump, then a candidate, spoke to the Republican Jewish Coalition and made a similar comment.
"You're not going to support me because I don't want your money," he said then. "You want to control your politicians, that's fine."
Later in the campaign, he tweeted a graphic critical of his opponent Hillary Clinton that featured a six-pointed star, a pile of cash and the words "most corrupt candidate ever." The star was believed by many to be the Star of David, which is featured on the Israeli flag. The campaign denied that the star carried any special meaning.
The president first attacked Omar and Tlaib, and two other Democratic congresswomen of color, last month by telling them to "go back" to their home countries. All four are United States citizens.
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