Former President Donald Trump addressed a campaign rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where he announced that there has “never been a more dangerous time since the Holocaust” to be Jewish in the US.
Trump justified this assertion with the recent increase in antisemitic incidents and hate crimes.
He specifically noted that Vice President Kamala Harris had bypassed selecting Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as her running mate due to his Jewish faith.
“They turned him down because he’s Jewish,” Trump told the crowd at Mohegan Sun Arena. “They turned him down for other reasons, but the primary reason is because he’s Jewish.” Trump continued, “Any Jewish person that votes for [Harris] or a Democrat has to go out and have their head examined.”
“What’s happening with Israel and Jewish people, there has never been a more dangerous time since the Holocaust if you happen to be Jewish in America,” he emphasised in his speech.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro dismissed Trump’s allegations, stating that the choice of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as Harris’ running mate indicated that “antisemitism had no impact” on the decision.
There has been a noticeable surge in antisemitic hate crimes across the country following the attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis and initiated a prolonged conflict in Gaza, now in its tenth month.
In New York City, the NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force investigated 30 anti-Jewish offences in July alone. Before that, 45 such incidents were reported in June. According to Year-to-date data, 229 antisemitic hate crimes had been reported to the NYPD as of August 4, compared to 126 by the same time last year.
A recent hate crime involved a Citi Bike rider who attacked a 70-year-old man in Central Park. The assailant reportedly called the man a “F—king Jew pig” and threatened to kill him before physically assaulting him while he was walking his daughter’s dog.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza has led to numerous protests around the United States, particularly on college campuses. These demonstrations have resulted in hundreds of arrests.
New York City has seen nearly weekly anti-Israel protests, with demonstrators often disrupting the city’s main transit hubs.
Trump justified this assertion with the recent increase in antisemitic incidents and hate crimes.
He specifically noted that Vice President Kamala Harris had bypassed selecting Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as her running mate due to his Jewish faith.
“They turned him down because he’s Jewish,” Trump told the crowd at Mohegan Sun Arena. “They turned him down for other reasons, but the primary reason is because he’s Jewish.” Trump continued, “Any Jewish person that votes for [Harris] or a Democrat has to go out and have their head examined.”
“What’s happening with Israel and Jewish people, there has never been a more dangerous time since the Holocaust if you happen to be Jewish in America,” he emphasised in his speech.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro dismissed Trump’s allegations, stating that the choice of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as Harris’ running mate indicated that “antisemitism had no impact” on the decision.
There has been a noticeable surge in antisemitic hate crimes across the country following the attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis and initiated a prolonged conflict in Gaza, now in its tenth month.
In New York City, the NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force investigated 30 anti-Jewish offences in July alone. Before that, 45 such incidents were reported in June. According to Year-to-date data, 229 antisemitic hate crimes had been reported to the NYPD as of August 4, compared to 126 by the same time last year.
A recent hate crime involved a Citi Bike rider who attacked a 70-year-old man in Central Park. The assailant reportedly called the man a “F—king Jew pig” and threatened to kill him before physically assaulting him while he was walking his daughter’s dog.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza has led to numerous protests around the United States, particularly on college campuses. These demonstrations have resulted in hundreds of arrests.
New York City has seen nearly weekly anti-Israel protests, with demonstrators often disrupting the city’s main transit hubs.
