Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DN.Y.) said Monday that the “progressive movement is undermined” by anti-Semitism that is rising in the U.S.
Ocasio-Cortez organized a discussion with Jewish Council on Public Affairs CEO Amy Spitalnick and former Anti-Defamation League official Stacy Burdett on Monday to discuss anti-Semitism and the “fight for democracy.”
In her opening remarks, she condemned anti-Semitism as “dangerous” and explained why it threatens numerous communities.
“Anti-Semitism is an attack on our values as Americans, and especially as progressives,” she said. “Anti-Semitism is also a threat to a community that is a vital partner in our struggles against injustice. Therefore, when the Jewish community is threatened, the progressive movement is harmed.”
Ocasio-Cortez has criticized Israel’s actions in the war-torn Gaza Strip, where millions of Palestinians have been displaced and many are at risk of starvation. She emphasized on Monday that “criticism of the Israeli government is not inherently anti-Semitic, and criticism of Zionism is not automatically anti-Semitism.”
“That being true doesn’t mean we shouldn’t recognize when criticism and when that criticism crosses the line into actual harm against our Jewish community,” Ocasio-Cortez added.
She noted that anti-Semitism is on the rise in the US, saying that more people should be equipped with the resources necessary to recognize when anti-Semitism is “clear and present.” She also said there are sometimes false accusations of anti-Semitism, especially against people of color.
“At the same time, it is also true that accusations and false accusations of anti-Semitism are made against people of color and women of color by bad faith political actors,” she said.
“And the use of anti-Semitism as a weapon is used to divide us and create a false choice between the fight for Jewish security and the cause of Palestinian self-determination. Defending and defending the rights of Palestinians is not anti-Semitic,” he added.
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