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Spotlight On New Leadership

Democrat And Republican
Scrutinized By Jewish Critics

Ellison’s Views On Israel Questioned

Rafael Medoff | JNS.org

Karen McDonough | JNS.org

A

number of pro-
Israel activists and
Jewish commu-
nity figures are expressing
concern that Minnesota’s
U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison
would turn the Democratic
Party away from Israel if
he is elected Democratic
National Committee (DNC)
U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison
chairman.
The election of Ellison
“would bode badly for
views on Israel.”
Jews,” longtime Democratic consul-
Jewish senators Charles Schumer
tant Dr. Hank Sheinkopf told JNS.
of New York and Bernie Sanders of
org. “His positions on Israel fit the
Vermont have endorsed Ellison to
pattern, noted by recent research, of
head the DNC.
identified liberal anti-Israel bias and
New York State Assemblyman Dov
the movement of Democrats away
Hikind, a Democrat who represents
from Israel.”
a heavily Jewish district in Brooklyn,
Ellison’s controversial statements
however, strongly criticized the deci-
and actions date back to the 1990s,
sion by Schumer to endorse Ellison.
when he served as a local spokesman
In an interview with JNS.org, Hikind,
in Minnesota for Louis Farrakhan’s
asked, “Why is Schumer in such a
Nation of Islam movement. Ellison
rush to support a candidate who is so
raised eyebrows when he publicly
unfriendly to Israel?”
claimed in 1995 that Farrakhan “is
Hikind said Ellison “is the most
not an anti-Semite.”
radical candidate imaginable, some-
Since his election to the U.S. House one who represents the extreme left
of Representatives in 2007, Ellison
wing of the party, which is why he’s
has emerged as one of the most
being promoted by Bernie Sanders,
vocal congressional supporters of the
Elizabeth Warren and J Street — in
Palestinian cause. He has organized
other words, Ellison is being backed
letters urging more U.S. pressure on
by all the wrong people if you care
Israel, voted against funding Israel’s
about Israel.”
Iron Dome anti-missile system and
The assemblyman noted that
spoken at fundraising events for
Ellison has occasionally claimed to be
the Council on American-Islamic
a friend of Israel, “but if Israel has to
Relations (CAIR), a hardline anti-
depend on support from the Ellisons
Israel group. While visiting Hebron
of the world, it would be in serious
this past summer, Ellison tweeted
trouble.”
a photograph of a placard accusing
Ellison’s office did not return a
Israel of “apartheid.”
request for comment from JNS.org.
Rabbi Menachem Genack of
The only other declared candidate
Englewood, N.J., a prominent Jewish
so far for the chairmanship of the
supporter of Hillary Clinton’s presi-
DNC is former Vermont Gov. Howard
dential campaign, said he would be
Dean. A date for the election has not
“disappointed” if Ellison is chosen as
yet been set. According to party rules,
chairman of the Democratic National it must take place prior to March 31.
Committee because that would
To win, a candidate needs the votes
“accelerate the process” of pulling the of a majority of the 447 members of
Democratic Party away from its tra-
the DNC. About one-fourth of the
ditional pro-Israel positions. Genack
members are the chairs or vice chairs
told JNS.org that he will be speak-
of state branches of the Democratic
ing to his colleagues in the party to
Party.
explain his “concerns about Ellison’s

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8 December 1 • 2016

Detractors Soften Stance On Bannon

J

ewish organizations who had
been at the forefront of anti-
Semitism allegations against
Stephen K. Bannon, President-elect
Donald Trump’s newly named chief
strategist and special counselor, soft-
ened their stance Nov. 17.
Going on the offensive against
Bannon, the former executive
chairman of Breitbart News, Anti-
Defamation League (ADL) CEO
Jonathan Greenblatt previously said
it is “a sad day when a man who
presided over the premier website of
the ‘alt-right’ — a loose-knit group
of white nationalists and unabashed
anti-Semites and racists — is slated
to be a senior staff member in the
‘people’s house.’”
But on Nov. 17, the ADL issued a
new backgrounder on Bannon that
states, “We are not aware of any anti-
Semitic statements made by Bannon.
In fact, Jewish employees of Breitbart
have challenged the characteriza-
tions of him and defended him from
charges of anti-Semitism.”
Nevertheless, the ADL back-
grounder continued to target Bannon
by association, calling him the “chief
curator for the alt-right. Under his
stewardship, Breitbart has emerged
as the leading source for the extreme
views of a vocal minority who peddle
bigotry and promote hate.”
The ADL, the National Council of
Jewish Women (NCJW) and other
Jewish groups opposed Bannon’s
appointment, charging him with
anti-Semitism based on a claim by
Bannon’s ex-wife in divorce papers
that the incoming White House offi-
cial didn’t want to send his children to
a school with Jewish kids — a state-
ment Bannon denies making. Jewish
groups also cited alleged anti-Semitic
overtones in a controversial Breitbart.
com headline for a story written ear-
lier this year by David Horowitz, the
Jewish founder of the conservative-
leaning David Horowitz Freedom
Center foundation.
Nancy Kaufman, NCJW’s CEO, told
JNS.org that her organization initially
called out Bannon based on “a great

Stephen Bannon

deal of research on Breitbart” and
information from the ADL, which
proceeded to back down from the
anti-Semitism charge.
Kaufman said, “We know of the ties
to the white nationalist movement.
They’ve been well-documented, and
we’re very aware of the comments
that have been made by Mr. Bannon
that promote xenophobia, racism and
homophobia. [Breitbart is] a platform
for the alt-right. [Bannon] has called
it that.”
Yet Kaufman told JNS.org that fol-
lowing the ADL’s clarification, she
“will be hesitant to use the word anti-
Semite going forward” when com-
menting on Bannon … “but I will use
the other words to describe him.”
Matt Brooks, the Republican Jewish
Coalition’s executive director, said,
“The people who have worked with
Bannon … said there’s absolutely not
an inch of an anti-Semitic bone in
Steve Bannon’s body.”
“We know that Breitbart has been
unabashedly pro-Israel in their
writings,” Brooks said. “They have
been against the Iran deal … under
Bannon’s leadership, Breitbart opened
a Jerusalem office … There’s a lot
of stuff out there … we really need
to take a step back and see how this
issue works out.”
Pro-Israel advocate Alan
Dershowitz said he “hasn’t seen any
evidence of personal anti-Semitism
on the part of Bannon.
“I don’t think anybody should be
called or accused of being anti-Semit-
ic unless the evidence is overwhelm-
ing.”

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