Trump accused of ‘abusing anti-Semitism’ by hundreds of rabbis and cantors

Over 550 rabbis and cantors have signed an open letter in which they criticise US President Donald Trump of “abusing the issue of anti-Semitism” for political purposes instead of protecting the Jewish community in America.

According to Israel Hayom, the letter was issued by two progressive Jewish organisations: the Israel lobby group J Street and rabbinic group T’ruah. It comes at a time of growing objections from Jewish community leaders to Trump administration’s practices.

Jewish refugee aid organisation HIAS published a similar letter a week ago signed by more than 560 Jewish religious leaders, reflecting the rejection within the Jewish community of Trump’s approach to the issue of anti-Semitism.

“The resurgence of this age-old hatred is alarming, and we unequivocally stand against it in all its forms,” said the signatories of the J Street-T’ruah letter. “We must also be clear: the way in which the Trump administration claims it is combating anti-Semitism is not about protecting Jews; it is instead overtly abusing the issue to divide Americans, undermine democracy and harm other vulnerable communities.”

The signatories also criticised Trump’s policies against universities: “Defunding universities, threatening to deport student protesters, and using Jews as a justification for authoritarian tactics does not make us safer; it makes us more vulnerable. We reject these cynical attacks on higher education — institutions that have long been strongholds of Jewish academic and cultural life — under the pretence of protecting Jewish students.”

They added that they reject “the politicisation of anti-Semitism as a means of political domination.”

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