Trump under fire from U.S. Jews over ‘disloyalty’ remark

Members of the community say he is fuelling anti-Semitism

U.S. President Donald Trump has been hit by a wave of criticism for accusing Jewish Democratic voters of “disloyalty,” but his comment also highlighted the unease of some in the community with its traditional party of choice.

Mr. Trump, who has positioned himself as a staunch ally of Israel, made the remark on Tuesday night while criticising Democratic politicians who support a boycott of the Jewish state.

“Where has the Democratic party gone?” Mr. Trump said, adding: “I think any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat, I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty.”

Members of America’s more than five million-strong Jewish community — 80% of whom voted Democratic in the 2018 mid-term elections, according to the Pew Research Center — have blamed the President for fuelling anti-Semitism.

“It’s a bit unclear what the President was trying to say in terms of who Jews are disloyal to… While he wasn’t exactly clear about that, I will be exactly clear on what that was: anti-Semitic,” Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, said.

The President “has no right to tell Jewish Americans he knows what is best for us or to demand our loyalty,” said Halie Soifer, of the Jewish Democratic Council of America.

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