FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 15, 2019

American Jews Disrupt Trump Campaign Rally; Call Out His Support For Occupation and Role in Rising Antisemitism

TWEET WITH FULL VIDEO

MANCHESTER, NH – Four American Jews disrupted a Trump Presidential Campaign Rally in Manchester, New Hampshire tonight, confronting the President’s white nationalist rhetoric and weaponization of antisemitism. Members of IfNotNow held up banners that read “Trump Is #BadForTheJews,” ”Jews Against White Nationalism,” “Jews Against Occupation” and “Your Hate Is Killing Us” at the rally while they chanted “Jews will not be used.” The protesters were forcibly removed from the rally by arena security.

The disruption comes on the day the Israeli government denied entry to Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI), a move that was encouraged and celebrated by the President, stating in a tweet that Omar and Tlaib “hate Israel & all Jewish people.”

“For American Jews, it is clear that Trump and the GOP are fueling — not fighting — the rise of antisemitism. In their twisted ideology, support for Jews means support for Netanyahu’s racist violence and endless occupation in Israel,” said Sarah O’Connor, a member of IfNotNow at the rally. “The majority of our community opposes the racists policies of the Israeli government and hold the progressive values of Rashida and Ilhan. Trump’s insinuation that they are antisemitic is an intentional effort to weaponize our community to undermine progressive movements and deflect attention away from their own hatred.”

Counties hosting a Trump rally in 2016 saw a 226% spike in hate crimes. Most of the extreme white nationalist violence in the past year has been directly inspired by Donald Trump and the Republican Party’s racist and antisemitic messaging. The domestic terrorist killed 11 Jews in Pittsburgh after weeks of rumors that George Soros was funding the migrant caravan, and the domestic terrorist who killed 22 people in El Paso acted against the “invasion” at the border, specifically targeting Latinx individuals. These actions are directly linked to the rhetoric of Trump and the GOP.

“We have seen an insurgence of violence that is directly affecting not only Jews, but all marginalized communities,” stated IfNotNow member Noah Schuettge. “Trump’s words have led to a disturbing rise of violent hate crimes that have instilled fear and threatened the lives of millions of people in this country and around the world.”