Anti-Defamation League boss Jonathan Greenblatt blasted Kamala Harris’ silence throughout what he mentioned was an antisemitic smear marketing campaign towards Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
“Nobody from the White Home referred to as out the antisemitic slander marketing campaign towards Governor Shapiro. Nobody from the marketing campaign referred to as out the antisemitic smear marketing campaign towards Governor Shapiro. Nobody from the DNC referred to as out the antisemitic smear marketing campaign towards Governor Shapiro,” Greenblatt mentioned in a wide-ranging interview with The Publish this week.
He referred to as the episode “shameful.”
Although Shapiro held broadly comparable views on Israel to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and different Democratic veep contenders — Israel-hating progressives launched a livid marketing campaign to scuttle him.
Shapiro, the well-liked, Jewish governor of Pennsylvania — a state the Harris marketing campaign should win — was extensively seen because the choose Republicans most feared.
However after he was smeared and snubbed, Jewish People — lengthy a dependable Democratic voting bloc — shall be up for grabs within the election, Greenblatt warned.
“I believe Jews on this second . . . they really feel the bottom shifting beneath their ft,” he mentioned.
The ADL boss additionally threw a jab at “Squad” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who he described as not been a useful accomplice preventing antisemitism. Greenblatt urged she must be extra like Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres.
“Richie Torres has sat with Jewish faculty college students repeatedly. Richie Torres went to Columbia . . . has AOC carried out that?” he mentioned.
The 2 pols have been in a public spat on X for days over AOC’s protection of Rep. Rashida Tlaib — who has repeatedly referred to as for the destruction of Israel and the Jewish individuals.
Sitting within the ADL’s midtown places of work, Greenblatt reiterated that he stays dedicated to a two-state answer, however concedes it’s more and more tough to see what that appears like.
The ADL boss warned that the expansion of radical Islam in the US was a severe challenge.
Final 12 months a ballot discovered that 57% of American Muslims believed Hamas’ Oct 7. bloodbath of 1,200 Israeli civilians was “justified.”
“We do have an issue with Islamist extremists,” Greenblatt mentioned. “You recognize, we’ve seen, for instance, within the final six plus months, an abundance of Hamas flags, Hezbollah flags. Once I was at DC for Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech, I noticed ISIS flags in entrance of Union Station.”
Whereas the ADL has lengthy been dedicated to the rights of refugees in the US and has supported liberal insurance policies of acceptance towards migrants and newcomers — Greenblatt mentioned that further screening for Muslims needed to be thought-about.
“I’m the grandson of a refugee, I’m the husband of a refugee and this group is dedicated to preventing for immigrants and preventing for refugees, however that doesn’t imply we don’t must display screen extremely rigorously and be tremendous good about who we let in and perhaps even consider what the suitable standards must be.”
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