Mostly Radio Silence From Trump as Violence, Bomb Threats Against American Jews Increase
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One week after a Jewish cemetery in Missouri was vandalized, bomb threats against Jewish Americans seem to be increasing. Meanwhile, President Trump is making headlines for saying absolutely nothing about these Jewish bomb threats in nearly a week.
According to a spokesperson with the Anti-Defamation League, there has been an uptick in anti-Semitism since the election of Trump.
On February 21, after weeks of neglect, Trump finally spoke out against these incidents by calling the acts “horrible” and announcing, “It’s gonna stop and it has to stop.”
Steven Goldstein, the Executive Director of the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect, responded to Trump that same day.
“The President’s sudden acknowledgement is a Band-Aid on the cancer of Antisemitism (sic) that has infected his own Administration,” Goldstein wrote. “His statement today is a pathetic asterisk of condescension after weeks in which he and his staff have committed grotesque acts and omissions reflecting Antisemitism (sic), yet day after day have refused to apologize and correct the record.”
Despite the president’s initial statement, anti-Semitism in the U.S. seems to be on the rise.
On Sunday, officials from a Jewish cemetery near Philadelphia reported that over 100 tombstones had been toppled. On Monday, NBC News reported that at least 16 Jewish Community Centers (JCCs) nationwide received bomb threats — including seven in the New York tri-state area.
In January and February, there were dozens of bomb threats that forced JCCs to evacuate.
Big dinner with Governors tonight at White House. Much to be discussed, including healthcare.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 26, 2017
Since the 21st, President Trump published 19 messages on his favorite communications platform — Twitter. Of those 19 tweets, six of them were about the media, two were about the Russian leaks and two were about the DNC. President Trump has time to tweet about “the failing @nytimes (New York Times)” and meeting the CEOs of insurance companies, but not a single tweet has been directed toward the increase in bomb threats against Jewish Americans.
For first time the failing @nytimes will take an ad (a bad one) to help save its failing reputation. Try reporting accurately & fairly!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 26, 2017
For some, this neglect may come as no surprise following the White House withholding the word ‘Jews’ from their statement for Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Considering the president’s forceful rhetoric on immigration – including his controversial ban from seven predominately Muslim nations – and his repeated calls for law and order, his response, or lack thereof, on these attacks speaks volumes. Until he denounces the threats in a more meaningful way, they aren’t likely to stop.
