Now It’s anti-Semitism

Many observers had assumed that at some point the Trump campaign would also begin to show signs of anti-Semitism given the polarizing campaign he has run so far. Trump and his campaign could not have persisted in attacking Hispanics, Muslims, and women, and not disavowing KKK supporters, without eventually getting around to showing his true feelings about Jews.

Trump repeatedly has been given a free pass by proclaiming that his daughter received an Orthodox Jewish conversion, is now married to a Jew, and he has Jewish grandchildren. In fact many Republicans in the Jewish community, who have increasingly begun to indicate a willingness to support him, used his Jewish daughter and son-in-law as proof positive of his support for Israel; plus the fact that Trump’s lawyer is a yarmulke wearing Jew. Unfortunately, it appears that Trump did not advise his wife and many of his supporters that for many Jews condoning or expressing anti-Semitism may well be at least as big a red flag for Jews as any of the positive feedback Trump has received as a result of his daughter or his AIPAC speech.

First, Trump’s wife Melania responded to anti-Semitic attacks on the Jewish reporter, Julia Ioffe, by Trump’s supporters for Ioffe’s critical piece about Trump’s wife in last month’s GQ magazine. Trump and his wife did not address the anti-Semitic charges and death threats made against Ioffe, but indicated that the writer had “provoked” them. Rather than comment on the anti-Semitic remarks Trump suggested that those who were questioning him about his supporters will “…have to talk to them about it.”

Following this up the deputy editor of the New York Times Washington bureau, Jonathan Weisman, tweeted earlier this week some comments about anti-Semitism among some of Trump’s supporters. In response Weisman deluge of follow-up anti-Semitic attacks against him including photos and cartoons.

Yesterday’s Washington Post had an opinion piece which detailed numerous other examples of Trump’s legions flooding Trump critics with anti-Semitic attacks. This include numerous rounds against conservative writers from Commentary and the National Review.

Much of this conversation could perhaps receive clarification from Trump if and when he decides to engage the issue during his planned visit to Israel this summer.

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