The Anti Defamation League has attacked Donald Trump’s latest ad for its anti-Semitic overtones and the Trump campaign has struck back. Meanwhile Israeli firm SpotIM reports an overall increase of anti-Semitism in the Presidential campaigns this year.
Over the last 18 months there have been no lack of images of racist and/or anti-Semitic individuals at Donald Trump rallies. Possibly because of his first and most prominent campaign promise — to build a wall on the border with Mexico and to deport millions of illegal immigrants — Donald Trump has attracted the support of countless bigots. But can we blame Trump for the actions of these people? After all, they are in no way associated with his campaign.
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Well Donald Trump has failed to repudiate such individuals and their activities. And now his campaign has done something which some are characterizing as a “now they show their true colors” moment.
The Trump campaign released a new television spot over the weekend which used images of famous Jewish business people like George Soros and the Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellin while the candidate’s remarks attacking the elites were played in narration. Many people saw dark undertones of anti-Semitism in it.
There are also the critics who claim that Donald Trump’s call for his supporters to be on the look out for any irregularities at the polls on election day is a veiled form of racism because it refers specifically to polling stations in heavily Black and Latino areas.
In a blog post, the ADL called on all Americans to stand up against people who would try to prevent their fellow citizens from exercising their right to vote. While the organization expressly stated that it was not attempting to single out the Trump campaign, its words seem to say otherwise.
The post read, in part, “The Trump campaign has also been encouraging people to deputize themselves as poll watchers in ‘certain areas.’ Poll watchers, including partisan poll watchers, have traditionally helped promote transparency and fairness on Election Day, but almost every state forbids poll watchers from engaging in conduct that might intimidate voters. While we do not believe that the Trump campaign is encouraging poll watchers to engage in intimidation, there is fear that some would-be poll watchers may cross the line.”
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, said in a statement, “Whether intentional or not, the images and rhetoric in this ad touch on subjects that anti-Semites have used for ages. This needs to stop.”
Our thoughts on the #Trump closing ad. pic.twitter.com/pPUmkY6qdD
— ADL (@ADL) November 6, 2016
In response, Trump adviser on Israel Jason Dov Greenblatt told The Forward, “I am offended and concerned that an institution such as the ADL would involve itself in partisan politics instead of focusing on its important mission. Mr. Trump and his campaign have laid out important ideas, a vision and critical policies for our country. The suggestion that the ad is anything else is completely false and uncalled for.”
On a personal note Greenblatt added, “Mr. Trump’s message and all of the behavior that I have witnessed over the two decades that I have known him have consistently been pro-Jewish and pro-Israel and accusations otherwise are completely off-base.”
Meanwhile Israel’s SpotIM is reporting a 20% spike in anti-Semitic chatter related to the election overall. Using its “Talkback” system, the company monitored the rise in comments made to posts on news websites in response to various stories about the election.
The company did not point a finger of blame at any one candidate or campaign, however. Nor did it state whether supporters of one side are more or less likely than the other to use racist rhetoric.
According to Nadav Shoval, CEO Spot.IM: “Our talkback system which is installed in thousands of sites in the United States such as AOL, Huffington Post, Time Inc and others. We monitored that “talkbackers” carried out intensive activity on behalf of presidential candidates.”
So are Donald Trump supporters more likely to be racists or anti-Semites? Can we blame Donald Trump himself for this if it is so? Well in two more days it will not matter anymore.
