Rep. Florida Democrat Jared Moskowitz slammed White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Monday for downplaying the potential for antisemitic hate crimes as Israel wages war on Hamas terrorists.
Jean-Pierre argued that the White House did not see “any credible threat” against the Jewish community before flipping his notes during Monday’s press briefing and declaring that Muslim and Arab Americans “have suffered a disproportionate number of hate-motivated attacks.”
“Weak answer. And why are you looking in books? What is the approved answer?” Moskowitz, who is Jewish, says in X’s note.
“The simple answer is yes, you are worried about the rise of antisemitism. Of course we are also concerned about hatred of American Muslims. Must do better,” added the Florida lawmaker.
Spokesperson for President Biden explained after the briefing that the 80-year-old commander-in-chief was indeed “deeply concerned” about the rise in antisemitic violence.
“To be clear: The President and our team are very concerned about the rise of antisemitism, especially after the horrific Hamas terrorist attack in Israel,” tweeted Jean-Pierre.
Karine Jean-Pierre speaks at a press briefing in the White House Press Briefing Room on Oct. 23. 2023.ZUMAPRESS.com
“That is why the President is mobilizing his homeland security forces to deal with any threat that could harm the Jewish community, as well as the Muslim, Arab American, and Palestinian American communities,” he added, noting what he highlighted during his briefing.
Since the October 7 Hamas attack, there have been 107 antisemitic incidents recorded across the US, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
It also found that there were 347 messages on Telegram from extremists calling for violence against Jews, Israelis and Zionists in just the first 18 hours after the Hamas surprise attack — an increase of about 488% from the day before.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), speaks during a roundtable discussion with a bipartisan delegation of members of Congress and others, Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, in Parkland, Fla.AP
Jean-Pierre’s comments came days after FBI Director Christopher Wray warned of a possible increase in reports of domestic threats amid Israel’s efforts to purge terrorists from Gaza.
“We are very wary of the possibility that single actors in the United States could in some way, from the inspiration, the misguided inspiration they take from the conflict in the Middle East,” Wray said in an interview with Fox News last Thursday.
During a speech at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in San Diego earlier this month, Wray said there was “no question” that antisemitic threats were on the rise.
“History has been witness to antisemitism and other forms of violent extremism for too long. “Whether it’s from foreign terrorist organizations, or those inspired by them, or domestic violent extremists fueled by their own racial enmity, the targeting of communities because of their beliefs is absolutely unacceptable,” he told the crowd, according to the Hill.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
