OPINION | This article contains the author's opinion.
During a White House briefing, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre failed to condemn antisemitic extremists amidst a surge of anti-Israel protests.
When asked about the protestors making Jewish students feel unsafe, Jean-Pierre avoided directly addressing the issue and instead reiterated the administration’s stance against hate in general.
She also mentioned President Biden’s opposition to Trump’s immigration policies and efforts to counter islamophobia and antisemitism.
Peter Doocy asks Karine Jean-Pierre if Joe Biden thinks the anti-Israel protesters around the country are “extremists” given the fact that he is always talking about “MAGA Extremism”
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 30, 2023
“What I can say is we’ve been very clear about this, when it comes to antisemitism, there’s no place. We have to make sure that we speak against it very loudly,” claimed Jean-Pierre.
This response drew criticism for equating anti-semitism with islamophobia and not specifically addressing the calls for Israel’s annihilation.
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: "[Biden] ran on this, as you all know, to restore the soul of this nation, to make sure that no hate sees the light of day"
REMINDER: Biden has done nothing to address the dramatic surge in antisemitism across the country. pic.twitter.com/Cfdd6bNoUw
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 2, 2023
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt wrote in reseponse, “It is incumbent on all leaders, from political leaders to CEOs to university presidents, to forcefully and unequivocally condemn antisemitism and terrorism.”
The White House statement contrasts with calls for stronger condemnation of antisemitism by leaders such as the Anti-Defamation League CEO and the Jerusalem Post Editorial.
Top Biden spokesman John Kirby says the rise of antisemitism in the U.S. is "a deep concern" — a week after Karine Jean-Pierre claimed "we have not seen any credible threats" pic.twitter.com/EkYgpfv3cs
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 30, 2023
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