Jewish advocacy group criticizes Trump’s choice for attorney general
Jewish activist Jonathan Greenblatt has asserted that Matt Gaetz possesses a “long history of trafficking in anti-Semitism.” Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has accused Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, of “trafficking in anti-Semitism” and is calling for him to be prohibited from taking office.
Trump announced Gaetz’s nomination on Wednesday, asserting that the Florida Republican would stop the “partisan weaponization of our justice system.” Gaetz, a hardline conservative and a close ally of Trump, has faced criticism from some establishment Republicans and strong disapproval from the ADL, a Jewish advocacy organization that usually leans Democratic.
”Rep. Matt Gaetz has a long history of trafficking in anti-Semitism – from explaining his vote against the bipartisan Anti-Semitism Awareness Act by invoking the centuries-old trope that Jews killed Jesus to defending the Great Replacement Theory and inviting a Holocaust denier as his 2018 State of the Union guest,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt stated on X on Wednesday. He further emphasized, ”He should not be appointed to any high office, much less one overseeing the impartial execution of our nation’s laws.”
Greenblatt did not elaborate on the specific instances of Gaetz’s actions that he referenced. The Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, which passed the House earlier this year but did not advance into law, aimed to criminalize “contemporary examples of anti-Semitism,” such as “claims of Jews killing Jesus.” Gaetz contended that the legislation would effectively criminalize significant aspects of Christianity’s foundational texts, given that these claims are repeatedly found in the New Testament.
The ‘Great Replacement Theory’ refers to the belief that white individuals are being gradually replaced in their own countries by non-white immigrants. While many liberals dismiss this as a racist conspiracy theory, statistics indicate that the proportion of white people relative to other races in the U.S. has been steadily decreasing since the mid-20th century.
In 2021, the ADL condemned former Fox News host Tucker Carlson for asserting that Democrats intend to replace Republican-voting white Americans with Democrat-voting immigrants. Greenblatt labeled Carlson’s remarks as “toxic, anti-Semitic and xenophobic.”
Gaetz responded to the backlash by criticizing the ADL, calling it a “racist organization.”
In 2018, Gaetz invited right-wing figure Charles Johnson to Trump’s State of the Union address, resulting in another confrontation with the ADL. Johnson had previously stated that 250,000 Jews, instead of six million, were killed by the Nazis during World War II. Although Gaetz did not label Johnson as a “Holocaust denier,” he admitted afterward that he “should’ve vetted him better before inviting him.”
It remains to be seen how Greenblatt’s statements will influence Gaetz’s confirmation prospects in the Senate. While the GOP holds a majority there, a combination of four Republican 'no' votes and united Democratic opposition could jeopardize the Florida lawmaker's chances of taking the helm of the Department of Justice.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
Trump announced Gaetz’s nomination on Wednesday, asserting that the Florida Republican would stop the “partisan weaponization of our justice system.” Gaetz, a hardline conservative and a close ally of Trump, has faced criticism from some establishment Republicans and strong disapproval from the ADL, a Jewish advocacy organization that usually leans Democratic.
”Rep. Matt Gaetz has a long history of trafficking in anti-Semitism – from explaining his vote against the bipartisan Anti-Semitism Awareness Act by invoking the centuries-old trope that Jews killed Jesus to defending the Great Replacement Theory and inviting a Holocaust denier as his 2018 State of the Union guest,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt stated on X on Wednesday. He further emphasized, ”He should not be appointed to any high office, much less one overseeing the impartial execution of our nation’s laws.”
Greenblatt did not elaborate on the specific instances of Gaetz’s actions that he referenced. The Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, which passed the House earlier this year but did not advance into law, aimed to criminalize “contemporary examples of anti-Semitism,” such as “claims of Jews killing Jesus.” Gaetz contended that the legislation would effectively criminalize significant aspects of Christianity’s foundational texts, given that these claims are repeatedly found in the New Testament.
The ‘Great Replacement Theory’ refers to the belief that white individuals are being gradually replaced in their own countries by non-white immigrants. While many liberals dismiss this as a racist conspiracy theory, statistics indicate that the proportion of white people relative to other races in the U.S. has been steadily decreasing since the mid-20th century.
In 2021, the ADL condemned former Fox News host Tucker Carlson for asserting that Democrats intend to replace Republican-voting white Americans with Democrat-voting immigrants. Greenblatt labeled Carlson’s remarks as “toxic, anti-Semitic and xenophobic.”
Gaetz responded to the backlash by criticizing the ADL, calling it a “racist organization.”
In 2018, Gaetz invited right-wing figure Charles Johnson to Trump’s State of the Union address, resulting in another confrontation with the ADL. Johnson had previously stated that 250,000 Jews, instead of six million, were killed by the Nazis during World War II. Although Gaetz did not label Johnson as a “Holocaust denier,” he admitted afterward that he “should’ve vetted him better before inviting him.”
It remains to be seen how Greenblatt’s statements will influence Gaetz’s confirmation prospects in the Senate. While the GOP holds a majority there, a combination of four Republican 'no' votes and united Democratic opposition could jeopardize the Florida lawmaker's chances of taking the helm of the Department of Justice.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
