The group of Jewish clergy told The Washington Post Thursday that they would protest Trump’s speech Monday to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), citing fears of the mogul’s authoritarian style and reluctance to disavow white supremacist groups and other groups advocating bigotry.
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With several groups organising boycotts, Rabbis David Paskin and Jesse Olitzky, who are leading a protest campaign “Come Together Against Hate”, said their objective is to voice their displeasure and do not want to disrupt the meeting. “He has received numerous awards, participated in many events and made significant contributions to a variety of Jewish-related causes over the years”, said Hope Hicks, Trump’s campaign spokeswoman.
In a statement issued Monday (http://bit.ly/21vJ9Ce), the Union for Reform Judaism, America’s largest Jewish religious denomination, announced its intention to protest Mr. Trump’s speech: “The Reform Movement and our leaders will engage with Mr. Trump at the AIPAC Policy Conference in a way that affirms our nation’s democracy and our most cherished Jewish values. American Jews, looking around in stunned disbelief, are concluding that… enough is enough”.
“We know only too well what happens when people call for the exclusion of Hispanics, or Muslims, or Jews”, said Ann Toback, the executive director of the Workmen’s Circle in a phone interview with the Monitor. “We simply won’t be complacent”.
Another group called If Not Now, which consists of younger Jews opposed to the policies of AIPAC, is also planning to demonstrate outside the conference in condemnation of its invitation of Trump.
“The job of AIPAC is not to decide whose policies we like or look into the souls of people”, said Seth Siegel, an AIPAC veteran who said he was not speaking on behalf of the organization.
In a column at Haaretz.com, an Israeli English-language news site, Rabbi Eric Yoffie of Westfield, New Jersey, excoriated the billionaire real estate mogul for both his policies and behavior on the campaign trailer, adding that denouncing a presidential candidate at an AIPAC conference is an unusual but necessary step. This is a planned speech. “The audience in the room and the audience tuning in will be a sophisticated audience. Trump just saying, ‘believe me, ‘ is not going to be sufficient”. “It’s a little odd, when you think of Trump, because some of his supporters aren’t necessarily friends of Israel, but he’s clearly making this move with an eye towards the general election”.
“Yes, AIPAC must be hospitable to Trump, but that does not mean that AIPAC participants are hospitable to the candidate’s ideas and candidacy”, Salkin wrote.
Mr Trump has also left some Jewish leaders uneasy with his pledge to stay neutral during peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
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“Trump and his campaign, driven by racism and hate, are beyond the bounds of acceptability for the vast majority of Jewish Americans”. But I think we’ve had enough.
