The deafening silence of the GOP

Friends,

If there was ever a doubt that President Trump is a racist, those doubts were erased earlier this week when he tweeted at four members of Congress to “go back” to their countries of origin.

Americans of all faiths and parties should unequivocally condemn this hatred and blatantly racist remark. Yet, the overwhelming majority of Republicans have chosen to remain silent, and some have chosen to embrace and defend the president’s hateful remarks.

In the past, we have publicly disagreed with three of these four members of Congress on Israel and their use of anti-Semitic tropes. That does not justify this racist attack by the President of the United States.

These four members of Congress are Americans, and we reject President Trump’s use of Israel and anti-Semitism as an excuse for his racism. This isn’t about Israel – it’s about bigotry. And we are deeply disappointed with the deafening silence of Republicans in the face of such hateful remarks.

Read an op-ed on CNN.com by our Executive Director, Halie Soifer, rejecting Trump’s racism and his use of Israel and anti-Semitism as political pawns.

The Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) not only rejects Trump’s racism, but also his attempts to deflect from it by continuing to use Israel as a political wedge issue.

That’s why we called on the Republican Party – specifically, House Republicans, Senate Republicans, and the Republican Jewish Coalition – to reject President Trump’s divisive rhetoric and racism.

The response of Republicans has been a deafening silence, demonstrating Republican complicity in the president’s hateful agenda and attempt to divide Americans along racial, religious, and ethnic lines.

Our response has been to speak out, and others are listening. Check us out on CNN, Newsweek, the Jerusalem Post, Haaretz, JTA, and the Times of Israel.

Those who are committed to American values must publicly recognize the danger of the commander-in-chief using his platform of power to espouse hate. And those who remain silent should hold their heads in shame. History and voters will judge this silence harshly in 2020 and beyond.

Join us in rejecting President Trump’s racism.

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Thank you,

Ron Klein,
Chair, Jewish Democratic Council of America

Halie Soifer
Executive Director, Jewish Democratic Council of America