Jewish Democrats Condemn Neo-Nazis Marching in Washington and Running for Office

Halie Soifer, Executive Director of the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA), issued the following statement in response to Sunday’s “Unite the Right” rally in Washington.

“The Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) condemns in the strongest possible terms the Unite the Right rally in our nation’s capital this weekend. This protest, marking one year since the horrific events in Charlottesville, promises to be another display of the racism, anti-Semitism, and bigotry that has grown in our country during the Trump administration. We implore protestors to demonstrate peacefully, and applaud the Metropolitan Police Department for taking every measure to prevent the rally from devolving into violence.

This rally – coupled with the multiple neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and Holocaust deniers running for office as Republicans – are stark reminders of the divisive political agenda that has gained legitimacy in the Trump administration. The so-called ‘alt-right,’ which worked to elect President Trump, has relished in the hate-filled speech and actions of the Trump administration. Meanwhile, Republicans have nominated no less than nine neo-Nazis and white supremacists to run for Congress, further demonstrating that racist politics have been legitimized and even embraced by mainstream Republicans.

Combating hatred should not be a partisan issue, and Jewish Democrats encourage Republicans to join us in working to prevent neo-Nazis and white supremacists from becoming Members of Congress. In this regard, we strongly encourage Republicans – including the Republican Jewish Coalition – to put principle above party and endorse the Democrats running against Republican neo-Nazis in the midterm elections.

As we quickly approach the midterm elections, JDCA stands at the forefront of resisting bigotry and anti-Semitism by supporting Democrats who share our values of equality, justice, and tolerance for all Americans.”