Trump's 'gathering with Jewish leaders' snubs groups that criticize him

Trump has invited several Jewish organizations to the White House — but notably excluded major organizations that have called him out for anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry.

The organizations that were asked to attend were told by the White House that as part of a “gathering with Jewish leaders,” they were invited “to a discussion with key Administration officials on pertinent issues impacting the community.”

While several conservative Jewish groups were asked to attend, the guest list had some shocking omissions.

Among the groups excluded from the White House invitation are the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) — the leading Jewish civil rights group in America — and other major Jewish organizations such as J Street, the Israel Policy Forum, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Also snubbed by the White House was HIAS, a Jewish refugee aid group that was demonized on social media by a white supremacist terrorist just hours before he shot and killed 11 people at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.

All of these groups have made statements critical of Trump, many of which have directly called him out for promoting bigotry.

The ADL has repeatedly called out Trump for his anti-Semitic remarks and for fostering an atmosphere of anti-Semitism both among his base and within the broader conservative movement.

“We are seeing an environment in which anti-Semitism has moved from the margins to the mainstream as political candidates and people in public life literally repeat the rhetoric of white supremacists,” ADL chief executive and director Jonathan Greenblatt said in an interview last year.

J Street recently called out Trump for leading a “campaign of targeted bigotry and incitement directed at Representative Ilhan Omar,” a Muslim congresswoman who has received death threats as a direct result of Trump’s recent smears. Omar’s public statements have been distorted by Trump and other Republicans to make the ludicrous claim that Democrats hate Jewish people.

The policy director of the Israel Policy Forum wrote a New York Times op-ed last month arguing that Trump’s statements on Israel are encouraging right-wing elements in that country to pursue “dangerous” policies that would “risk inflaming the entire Middle East.”

The Simon Wiesenthal Center rebuked Trump for calling predominantly nonwhite countries “shithole” nations, stating: “Such vulgar language and sentiment are inappropriate. President Trump should withdraw the statement and apologize.”

And HIAS has slammed Trump for his “dark vision of America as a place where we are afraid of each other.”

Jewish voters have repeatedly and consistently backed Democratic candidates while rejecting Republicans.

In the recent midterm election, over 75 percent of Jews voted for Democrats and helped sweep Republicans out of power in the House. Many Jewish voters said their choice was driven by displeasure with Trump, including how his type of rhetoric inspired the shooter at Tree of Life Synagogue.

Trump is a bigot, and he and his Republican allies have fostered anti-Semitic bigotry. He can’t cover for that just by inviting Jewish groups to the White House — especially when he excludes the groups that have spoken out against his bigotry.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.