Six Years Since Unite the Right

Six years ago this weekend, hoards of violent neo-Nazis and white supremacists descended on Charlottesville, Virginia, for Unite the Right – one of the most extreme displays of racism, antisemitism, and right-wing extremism in American history.

In the aftermath of Heather Heyer’s murder by a white supremacist in a terrorist car attack and the specter of neo-Nazis with tiki torches chanting “Jews will not replace us,” Donald Trump told the nation that there were “good people on both sides.”

In that moment, what Jewish Americans had already long known became indisputable: Donald Trump and his MAGA Republican movement presented a clear and present danger to the safety of our community and to the soul of our nation, and we needed to fight back.

JDCA announced its formation shortly thereafter, and since then, we have been on the front lines in the fights against antisemitism, white supremacy, Republican extremism, and attacks against our democracy by advocating for policies consistent with Jewish priorities and supporting Democrats who share our core values.

The hate on display at Unite the Right did more than accelerate the creation of JDCA: It inspired Joe Biden to run for President. JDCA played a key role in the coalition that returned the White House to Democrats in 2020 and the Biden administration has continued to combat antisemitism head-on. President Biden and Vice President Harris’s National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, released earlier this year, is historic and presents an unprecedented opportunity to mobilize government, private industry, and civil society in pursuit of Jewish safety.

But the fight against hate and right-wing extremism is far from over. The 2024 election is already upon us, and it’s clear that no matter who the GOP nominates to run against President Biden, they will continue to pander to the same hate that Trump fueled. After four years of Trump empowering hate against our community, Jewish Americans cannot risk the flames of hate being stoked from the White House again.

At JDCA, we are mobilizing the Jewish community to get out and vote for President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Democrats who share our core values.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership.

Sincerely,

Hon. Ron Klein
Chair, Jewish Democratic Council of America