Former President Donald Trump has ignited a wave of criticism after sharing a flier on his Truth Social platform during Rosh Hashanah celebrations. The flier suggests that liberal Jews who did not support him have somehow contributed to the destruction of America and Israel, perpetuating an antisemitic trope of dual loyalties.
The flier, originally created by a group called JEXIT, which advocates for American Jews to disassociate from the Democratic Party, was posted on Truth Social at the conclusion of Rosh Hashanah. It reads, “Let’s hope you learned from your mistake & make better choices moving forward! Happy New Year!”
Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, decried Trump’s post as “antisemitic,” expressing her dismay on social media. Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, criticized Trump for perpetuating conspiracy theories surrounding dual loyalty, emphasizing the harm in implying that an entire segment of the Jewish population supports the destruction of America and Israel.
The American Jewish Committee also weighed in, stating, “Claiming that American Jews who did not vote for Mr. Trump voted to destroy America and Israel is deeply offensive and divisive.” Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, a Jewish representative from New York, called out Trump’s antisemitism and urged him to reconsider attacking American Jews, particularly on one of their holiest days.
Trump has a history of criticizing Jewish American voters who do not support him, often resorting to antisemitic tropes. In the lead-up to the 2022 midterm elections, he faulted American Jews for not giving sufficient praise to his policies towards Israel, including the relocation of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Throughout his presidency, Trump made various statements that raised concerns within the Jewish community. He suggested that Jewish Americans either didn’t like or didn’t care about Israel, while implying that evangelical Christians exhibited greater support for Israel than Jewish Americans. His first presidential campaign also saw him making remarks to the Republican Jewish Coalition that referred to the audience as “negotiators.”
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Historically, Jewish Americans have predominantly aligned with the Democratic Party and lean politically liberal, as reported by the Pew Research Center. While Orthodox Jews tend to lean Republican, other denominations, such as Reform and Conservative Jews, have shown a strong affiliation with the Democratic Party.
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