where a tiny swastika appeared
in his 2018 campaign ad, and a
comment on a television inter-
view where James said under-
represented African Americans
“need to make sure that we
force both parties to treat us
the way they’
re genuflecting for
working-class white males and
for our Jewish friends.
”
James’
own Jewish friends
say the accusations against him
are outrageous. “Never have I
ever felt an ounce of antisemi-
tism in John’
s body,
” Green said.
James has publicly apolo-
gized for the swastika incident,
which he says was an oversight
on behalf of his media compa-
ny who used stock footage of a
school hallway for the ad.
“I apologize to anybody
whom I may have hurt because
personally that doesn’
t repre-
sent me,
” he said. “The swastika
is an evil symbol that only
should be remembered so it
never gets repeated.
”
As for the genuflection
comment, James, while not
addressing the word’
s conno-
tations, says he meant it as a
compliment to the Jewish peo-
ple. The Jewish community and
women in particular, he says,
have worked hard to hold both
the Democratic and Republican
parties accountable to their vote
in a way he wishes the Black
community would.
“I think that the African
American community would
do well to demand the same
accountability from our politi-
cians,
” he said.
ON BLM AND ANTISEMITISM
Donald Trump’
s pro-Israel pol-
icies do not take precedent over
domestic security for a number
of Jewish voters. Many are
concerned with the president’
s
alleged stoking of antisemi-
tism by failing to forthrightly
condemn far-right extremist
groups.
The James campaign has
seen its own share of criticism
in this field. In late August,
members of the far-right group
Proud Boys, which has been
linked to antisemitic activity,
volunteered at a James cam-
paign event in Antrim County.
“I can’
t speak for President
Trump, nor will I try,
” James
said. “But I will speak for
myself that I hate bigotry in all
of its forms.
”
The president has offered his
“total and complete” endorse-
ment for James. But Trump
has also called the Black Lives
Matter organization “bad for
Black people.
”
James said, “Of course I
believe that Black lives matter.
I’
m a Black man.
” But he says
the Black Lives Matter move-
ment has been “hijacked by
leftists.
”
“I do not believe that it hon-
ors the sacrifices of the civil
rights leaders who came before
us nor does it shed a positive
light on George Floyd’
s death,
”
he said.
In a statement from his
campaign, James said that as
a Black man and officer, he
understands both sides of the
debate. To the public, he has
denounced proposals to defund
police departments and says he
supports “increased training
and increased transparency.
”
Regardless of the current
movement’
s goals, James
says Jewish people have been
marching beside African
Americans in the fight for
equality since the civil rights
era. As the nation experiences
antisemitic and racial violence
once again, the communities
are only becoming closer, he
believes.
James says he plans on using
every platform available to pro-
mote these words of unity.
“I think that’
s a message that
will hopefully resonate with
all communities, especially the
Jewish community,
” he said.
OCTOBER 15 • 2020 | 15
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