President denounces anti-Semitism in wake of recent threats to JCC’s.
President Trump came out against anti-Semitism[/tweetit] earlier this week in response to the growing number of threats against the community. He called the trend “horrible” and indicated he would put an end to it.
Donald Trump: “Anti-Semitism is Horrible”[/tweetthis]
Trump, who was on a tour of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., issued a statement in response to the recent bomb threats involving Jewish community centers across the U.S.
In his statement, the President spoke of how the threats against the country’s Jewish community were painful, and a “sad reminder” of the effort needed to stop “prejudice, evil and hate.”
The recent comments against anti-Semitism are seen as the President’s most notable criticism of the problem. At an earlier press conference, Trump responded to the same topic by calling himself the “least anti-Semitic person.” He even made it a point to mention his daughter, Ivanka, and her husband, Jared Kushner, were of the Jewish faith.
Trump was also quick to point the finger at the “other side” as the source of all the recent anti-Semitism.
Prior to the President’s official statement, Hillary Clinton had requested her former rival to comment on the issue after reports surfaced about a recent attack on Jewish graves at a Missouri-based cemetery.
Trump’s response is being seen as an attempt to reduce the pressure on his administration, which is fighting claims about its reluctance to distance itself from extremist right-wing groups.
The Anne Frank Center also criticized Trump, calling his remarks “condescending”. According to the center, Trump’s remarks serve only as a “Band-aid” to his own administration’s “anti-Semitic infection”. The criticism was voiced in the form of a written statement, on which the Center highlighted the Trump administration’s past omissions and acts reflected their own anti-Semitic opinions.
Trump: "Anti-Semitism is horrible, and it's going to stop and has to stop" https://t.co/M2rDHPvWhD
— Paige Lavender (@paigelav) February 21, 2017
The Center also made a comment about how strong the recent administration was responsible for the “worst” form of anti-Semitism exhibited by any Presidential administration.
The White House’s failure to mention Jews as part of the Holocaust Remembrance was also highlighted in the statement.
Prior to his denouncement of the recent anti-Semitic attacks, Trump had found himself in the center of a controversy involving his statement honoring the International Holocaust Memorial Day last month. The President had failed to clearly mention Jews in his address, which led to an onslaught of criticism from Republicans and Democrats.