Orthodox Jews Rally for Trump As New Poll Claims Jews Think GOP is Antisemitic

Jews for Trump NYC (David Dee Delgado / Getty)
David Dee Delgado / Getty
Deborah Brand

In the wake of a pro-Trump rally held by Orthodox Jews in New York City on Sunday, a new poll was released suggesting that more than two-thirds of American Jews believe the Republican Party holds anti-Semitic views, compared to 37% who say the same about Democrats.

The poll included a survey of American Jews and Americans in general.

“Results from both surveys indicate more Americans attribute anti-Semitic views to the Republican Party than attribute them to the Democratic Party,” the non-partisan American Jewish Committee (AJC), which published the polls, said.

“Majorities of respondents in both surveys say the Republican Party holds a lot or some anti-Semitic views. More than two-thirds of American Jews (69%) and over half of US adults (52%) say the Republican Party holds at least some anti-Semitic views, compared to 37% of American Jews and 42% of the general public who say the same about the Democratic Party.”

The Jewish survey was not, however, reflective of the views of Orthodox Jews, who overwhelmingly support Trump — 83%, according to another poll.

Among Orthodox Jewish respondents in AJC’s poll, 66% say the Democratic Party holds anti-Semitic views. Among Republican Jews, 71% say the extreme left poses a very or moderately serious antisemitic threat, and 79% say the Democratic Party holds antisemitic views.

Sunday’s rally saw a large crowd turn out for a “Jews for Trump” parade and rally in Brooklyn, with many speakers taking the podium to condemn what they view as hypocrisy on the part of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in their handling of the coronavirus crisis in Orthodox areas.

The rally also included a car parade with more than 1,000 vehicles adorned with Trump flags — some of which were attacked multiple times with pepper spray, punches, rocks and eggs.

One video posted on Twitter shows a pro-Trump convoy led by former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani being pelted with eggs.

“Hey Cuomo, you probably wouldn’t have allowed this [gathering]… Come get me!” said the rally’s MC Nachman Mostofsky, the executive director of the right-wing, pro-Israel policy group Chovevei Zion, as quoted by the Times of Israel.

A family of seven were pepper sprayed by an anti-Trump activist, Fox News reported.

 

In the AJC poll, 89% of the Jewish respondents said the extreme political right poses a threat to American Jews; 61% said the extreme political left poses a threat.

Strangely, the AJC’s general population survey found that nearly half of Americans don’t know what the phrase “antisemitism” means, with 21% of Americans saying they’ve never even heard of the word. An additional 25% of Americans said they have heard the term but are unsure of what it means.

 

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