With yet another attack against the Jewish community over this holiday season, congressional legislators included prominent Jewish members who were quick to condemn the action and all anti-Semitic rhetoric and actions.
“The anti-Semitic attack in Monsey, New York, on the 7th night of Hanukkah last night is horrific,” stated President Donald Trump “ We must all come together to fight, confront, and eradicate the evil scourge of anti-Semitism. Melania and I wish the victims a quick and full recovery.”
While the president was quick to denounce the act of terrorism against the Jewish community, the message will not go far with some of his detractors.
Florida Congressman Ted Deutch (D), who has lead the movement to condemn anti-Semitism and racism, pointed to a “trend of increasing Anti-Semitic violence & incidents” that have plagued the nation in the past several years, coincidently
Rep. Deutch, along with other Democrat members of Congress, has in the past singled-out President Donald Trump, accusing him of using anti-Semitic rhetoric and all-but accusing him of being a racist and anti-Semite.
Deutch’s Trump remarks could be considered hypocritical considering that he joined Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the entire Democrat House Caucus in refusing to call out by name Rep. Ilhan Omar for her past glaring anti-Semitic and anti-Israel comments.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) has probably been the most vocal member of the House that has accused Trump of being anti-Jewish, calling the immigration detention centers “concentration camps.”
Ocasio-Cortez denounces Trump, but still supports and defends Omar and Tlaib’s overtly anti-Israel and anti-Semitic language.
During a March house vote to condemn all “anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, bigotry, racism, and hatred of all kinds,” Deutch did say on the House floor that he did feel “let down by some colleagues.”
"Today the House of Representatives voted to condemn anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, bigotry, racism, and hatred of all kinds. All are worthy of condemnation. I joined my colleagues in condemning them all. But I feel let down by some colleagues who seem to have questioned those of us who feel the weight of history when we hear classic anti-Semitic language – history that has led to targeting Jews, expelling Jews from their countries, violence against Jews, and attempts to exterminate the Jewish people. Anti-Semitism is worthy of being condemned, singularly. I hope this painful week is never repeated in this Congress."
In August, the Sun-Sentinel reported that during a town hall meeting in Pompano Beach, Florida, Deutch said that President Trump “creating an environment in which anti-Semitism can flourish” and urged both Republicans and Democrats to push back or condemn Trump’s divisive rhetoric.
Deutch took another jab at Trump and presumably Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, the two Muslim legislators that support the controversial anti-Israel BDS movement.
“Anti-Semitism cannot be political. And it’s got to be condemned wherever it comes from, whether it comes from the left or the right. We cannot pick and choose and decide only to speak out when it comes from the party that is not your own,” he said. Unchallenged, anti-Semitism “too often leads to violence and death.”
Deutch said the pair demonstrated, in a news conference on Monday, a “failure to recognize the challenges that Israel faces,” and “don’t actually reflect what’s happening on the ground in Israel.” He said they don’t reflect the overwhelming majority of Democrats in Congress.
After the town hall, Deutch added, “There are really complicated issues that need to be resolved and there’s no interest on their part to try to tackle them in a serious way when you advocate for something that seeks to delegitimize Israel,” referring to their support for B.D.S.(Sun-Sentinel)
While his Republican congressional opponents will say that he is not as pro-Israel as he portrays himself to be, Deutch is solid when it comes to backing all things Jewish and Israel.
Deutch could strengthen his position on Israel if he were to openly call out Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, but don’t expect that to happen anytime soon.
Why cause a rift within the party?
Before the impeachment inquiry into Trump, the progressive and more-moderate factions within the House Democratic Caucus were at odds over policy, but Speaker Nancy Pelosi brought them all together with the shared cause to impeaching Trump.
