The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) on Saturday announced that Donald Trump would speak at this year’s annual policy conference. AIPAC’s breathless announcing of Trump’s upcoming appearance — “Trump will speak live!” — came on Saturday, the most violent day in his campaign to date. It also came after months of Trump not only inciting violence from his supporters, but expressions of hatred and contempt for Muslims, Latinos, blacks …
With this as a backdrop, AIPAC announced that Trump will be welcomed with open arms by Jewish leaders who head Israel’s most powerful lobbying arm in America:
As Peter Beinart just asked, would AIPAC be inviting a politician calling to ban Jewish refugees from entering America?
The answer is obvious.
I’ll go further and ask, as we see Trump’s inciting hatred for people of color inspiring anti-Semites to crawl out of the woodwork: would AIPAC invite a politician inspiring people to call for death to Jews?
Because that’s what is now happening. I’ve not only seen this personally in my Twitter mentions, where Trump supporters call for my ‘removal,’ we’re seeing it in broad daylight. Just yesterday, a Trump supporter screamed to protesters, “Go back to Auschwitz.”
Hate begets hate. For months, I’ve been calling for Jewish leaders to condemn Trump, wanting the American Jewish community to not only stand united with communities of color being assaulted, but to reject a movement sure to inspired those who hate Jews to gain a voice.
Eventually.
That eventually is now. Which is why I ask AIPAC to rescind its invitation, to send a message that people who inspire hatred will not be embraced by the American Jewish community.
US Jewish voters are making this message loud and clear. It’s time for American Jewish leaders to follow.
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David Harris-Gershon is author of the memoir What Do You Buy the Children of the Terrorist Who Tried to Kill Your Wife?, recently published by Oneworld Publications.
Follow on Twitter @David_ehg