Don’t Ban, Defund, Deport in Our Name

Nearly two years ago, on October 11, 2023, President Biden offered comfort, empathy, solidarity, and support to the Jewish community after the worst massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust. I was in the room at the White House when President Biden pounded his podium in anguish following the horrific violence of October 7th and ordered increased security for American Jews.

Contrast that with the White House meeting that occurred earlier this week, which President Trump did not attend, with Jewish community leaders responding to the recent violent antisemitic attacks in Washington, DC and Boulder, CO. At the meeting, the White House previewed the President’s travel ban that became official hours later, using the horrific attack in Boulder “as a rationale, as proof of why this executive order was so important.”

The White House used the violence targeting Jews as justification for a sweeping travel ban similar to the “Muslim Ban” of Trump’s first term. Even if you follow the flawed logic that banning travel from 12 countries and restricting it from seven others may decrease antisemitism, Egypt – the country of origin for the perpetrator of the Boulder attack – was not included on the list. Trump’s travel ban does nothing to increase the safety and security of American Jews. This travel ban is another example of Trump exploiting rising antisemitism to advance an unconstitutional political agenda predicated on discrimination, retribution, and fear.

The threat we’re facing with anti-Israel sentiment manifesting in deadly antisemitic violence is real, as demonstrated by the three violent attacks in the past three months, and it deserves a strong response from the White House. Unfortunately, President Trump’s response to rising antisemitism – detaining, deporting, and banning foreigners from African and Muslim-majority countries; threatening and defunding universities; and barring foreign students – is misplaced and counterproductive. Eroding our democracy, restricting freedoms, and closing our borders will not make American Jews safer. This is why a majority of Jews believe Trump’s actions will actually increase – as opposed to decrease – antisemitism, according to a recent poll.

Donald Trump appears unable or unwilling to identify and address the actual problem at hand. This was evident in Trump’s public response to the Boulder attack, in which he failed to use the word “antisemitic” to describe the incident. He also failed to mention “Jews” or “Jewish Americans” in his response to the violence, as if it had targeted any group of people. Instead, he focused on his immigration agenda and blamed his predecessor. This is deeply concerning because this moment requires leadership, and leadership requires identifying the problem. Words matter, and Trump’s words following the Boulder attack demonstrated a callous diversion from the real issue.

In all three of the recent antisemitic incidents – the targeting of Governor Shapiro’s residence, the murder of two Israeli Embassy employees, and the burning of peaceful demonstrators – the perpetrators cited the Palestinian cause as their motivation for violence. As President Biden warned after October 7th: “You worry about kids being targeted at school, going about their daily lives, hurt by the downplaying of Hamas’ atrocities, and blaming [of] Israel. This is unconscionable.” Biden’s prescient warning about blame of Israel being transferred to blame of Jews has now come to fruition in the form of antisemitic violence, leading to the injury and deaths of innocent people.

There should not be confusion about the fact that these incidents were driven by antisemitism. As legal expert Mimi Rocah recently wrote, “targeting Jews because you don’t like Israel is antisemitism.” The vilification of Jews and the false equivalence between the actions of the Israeli government and Jewish people is antisemitism. To the extent that phrases such as “globalize the intifada,” “Free Palestine,” and “from the river to the sea” are used to blame Jews as a people for the government of Israel’s actions, it is antisemitism.

Now is the moment for leadership, and it’s vital that our elected officials lead with their words and actions, starting with naming these recent attacks for what they are – clear acts of antisemitic violence. I’ve been heartened to see so many Democrats clearly do so, and now all members of Congress – and the Trump White House – must follow their lead and back up their words with actions.

This is why hundreds of JDCA activists will descend on the Hill next week, to implore their members of Congress to see the problem for what it is and take action to increase security funding for Jewish institutions through the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), which President Trump froze for months and flatlined in his recent budget. Democrats, starting with Leader Schumer, are demanding an increased amount of funding for this vital program to harden security at our synagogues, JCCs, organizations, and day schools. This funding will help to defend and protect our community against possible future attacks.

The most important step that could be taken is a clear and resounding denunciation of antisemitism – in all its forms – from this White House, and that is an action Donald Trump has repeatedly demonstrated an unwillingness to take. In the meantime, the steps he is taking against universities and foreigners will not make Jewish Americans more secure. We need leadership, not exploitation of the very real threat we face in the form of antisemitism, and we need it now.