The leaders of prominent American Jewish groups criticized President Donald Trump for telling a gathering of Republican American Jews Saturday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “your prime minister.”
Mr. President, words matter. As with all elected officials, its critical for you to avoid language that leads people to believe Jews aren’t loyal Americans. https://t.co/fHk91Q00El https://t.co/4sRm8tJvt8
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) April 7, 2019
Mr. President, the Prime Minister of Israel is the leader of his (or her) country, not ours. Statements to the contrary, from staunch friends or harsh critics, feed bigotry. https://t.co/BGlx16NrCK
— AJC (@AJCGlobal) April 7, 2019
President Trump, Jewish Americans are just that: Americans. This dual loyalty canard must stop. https://t.co/yISq42NyMm
— Rabbi Jonah Pesner (@JonahPesner) April 7, 2019
During a speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition on Saturday, Trump told the gathered Americans: “I stood with your prime minister at the White House to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.”
It wasn’t the only time Trump has referred to American Jews as something other than Americans, nor was it the only time he did so in Saturday’s speech, as the Toronto Star’s Daniel Dale pointed.
Here's how Trump used "you," "your," "yourselves" and "your people" in his speech to Jewish Republicans yesterday: pic.twitter.com/arvnzL4wDz
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 7, 2019
In 2015, Trump used similar rhetoric in a speech to the RJC.
“You’re not going to support me because I don’t want your money,” he said. “You don’t want to give me money, okay? But that’s okay, you want to control your own politician. That’s fine, good.”
H/t Haaretz
