As an organization, Defeat Anti-Semitism came together for one purpose: we were startled by the uptick in anti-Semitism within the Democratic Party.
A recent poll conducted of core Jewish Democratic voters* illustrates just how widespread these fears are. We need to end this worrying trend to ensure Jews have a home in the Democratic Party for years to come.
Schumer has called himself the “defender of Israel”, yet has allowed anti-Israel sentiment to permeate mainstream party ideology.
In the poll, 71%of Jewish Democrats felt that Chuck Schumer hadn’t done enough to curb anti-Semitism in the party and called on him to make a more forceful stand.
Representative Ilhan Omar’s Spot on the House Foreign Affairs Committee was a point of contention for many, with 63% calling on Nancy Pelosi to remove her from the post and to more forcefully condemn future anti-Semitic rhetoric coming from her and Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Over 1/4 were dissatisfied with past rebukes against anti-Semitism by Speaker Pelosi.
By not acting forcefully, it turned what should be a simple no brainer condemnation into a topic of debate. A tactic being artfully used by Tlaib and Omar to expand the acceptable dialogue pertaining to these issues.
A majority of those polled said they were less likely to support a Democratic Presidential Candidate who defended anti-Semitic tropes and statements used by the freshman representatives.
Over 50% also said that a candidate’s answers to debate questions regarding anti-Semitism were crucial in gaining their support.
The largest sticking point was that many felt our fears were justified, and that these were not just isolated incidents of anti-Semitism coming from these particular representatives.
Stating that they feared anti-Semitism was on the rise within the Democratic Party.
These results should shock every American and especially Democrat to the core. Jews have called the Democratic Party a political home for decades past and we must fight to ensure it remains that way going forward. Let this be a wakeup call that we need to extinguish the seeds of anti-Semitism that have been allowed to take root in the Democratic Party!
In order to get active in fighting anti-Semitism in America, you can Click Here to contact your congressional representative and tell them to keep up the pressure and remove Ilhan Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee!
For more information, please reach out to our Press Team, [email protected]
*Core Jewish Democratic voters are those who identified as Jewish and voted in 2016 & 2018, with plans to vote again in 2020