FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 27, 2020

CONTACT:
Contact: Elliot Beck, press@ifnotnowmovement.org 

Milton, GA — Two American Jews confronted Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) in Milton, GA Saturday morning at a campaign event, asking the Senator about her association with white supremacists, antisemites, and neo-Nazis. When asked by members of IfNotNow why neo-Nazis are attracted to her campaign, Sen. Loeffler was silent while her campaign staff forcibly removed the IfNotNow member who asked the question.  

Rae Axner, a member of IfNotNow, asked Sen. Loeffler: “Why do you think neo-Nazis love your campaign so much? Why do you think that? Because white supremacists are really attracted to your campaign and it’s because you’re inspring politics that inspire racist and white supremacist violence?” 

Loeffler — who had just thanked Axner for being there — pretended not to hear the question. Loeffler’s campaign staffers physically removed Axner. 

Loeffler has faced pushback from American Jews for regularly using antisemitic tropes and racist dog whistles, welcoming the support of antisemites and white supremacists, and posing for photos with affiliates of the KKK, just this month.

“It is clear to Jewish Americans like me that Loeffler and the GOP are fueling antisemitism and white supremacy, using fear and division as a tactic to hang onto power and distract from their own greed and corruption,” said Axner. “Loeffler has appeared in multiple photos smiling next to a neo-Nazi and his accomplice. She can’t keep doing that and claim it’s a mistake — you don’t build a campaign that attracts neo-Nazis by accident. She knows what she’s doing; that is why she refused to respond to my question. She is perfectly happy endangering Jews and all marginalized groups in order to win. It’s despicable.”

Loeffler proudly welcomed the endorsement of Marjorie Taylor Greene, an extremist QAnon supporter who was just elected to Congress. At the time of her endorsement, Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14) had already made headlines for her support for QAnon, promotion of white supremacist propaganda, and Islamophobic, antisemitic, and racist statements. Over the summer, Loeffler sat down for a friendly interview with Nazi-sympathizer Jack Posobiec, who the Southern Poverty Law Center had just exposed as a long-time collaborator with “white supremacists, neo-fascists and antisemites.” Loeffler herself repeatedly invokes the antisemitic trope that casts Jews as “puppet-masters” controlling organizations and candidates that oppose her.

“Over the past four years, campaigns like Kelly Loeffler’s that intentionally stoke fear and division have actively emboldened the far-right, leading to surges in white suptrmacist violence,” stated IfNotNow member Ari Jahiel, who was also present during the disruption on Saturday. “We’re going to hold every elected official who has helped mainstream white nationalism accountable in 2021, starting with Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue.” 

Video Transcript:

Senator Kelly Loeffler: Hi

IfNotNow member 1: Hi Senator 

Senator Kelly Loeffler: How are you?

IfNotNow member 1: I’m good, how are you? 

Senator Kelly Loeffler: Good, thanks for coming out. 

IfNotNow member 1: Why do you think that neo-Nazis love your campaign so much? Why do you think that? Because white supremacists are really attracted to your campaign and it’s because you’re inspring politics that inspire racist and white supremacist violence. 

IfNotNow member 2: Senator Loeffler, why do you- why do neo-Nazis love your campaign? 

IfNotNow member 1: You’re inspiring white supremacist and antisemitic violence that targets Jews like me and people of color. 

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IfNotNow is a 501(c)3 nonprofit to cultivate, support, and train a volunteer-led movement to shift the American Jewish community to end our community’s support for the occupation and stand for freedom and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians. Find out more at www.ifnotnowmovement.org.