Jewish Leaders To Boycott Donald Trump’s Appearance At Pro-Israel AIPAC Event

Donald Trump has the unique ability to attract enthusiastic people at his public events. But when he appears at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee later this month to deliver a major speech, a formidable contingent of Jewish civic leaders and rabbis will not be on hand to hear his address. According to a report from CNN, the group has decided to boycott Trump’s appearance on the grounds that the aspiring executive-in-chief “encourages hatred.”

“This is not about policies, this is not about parties, this is about one particular person, Donald Trump, who has encouraged and incited violence at his campaign rallies,” said Rabbi David Paskin, who has reportedly organized a group of over 300 people to rally against Donald Trump during his March 21 speech. “We are against the hatred, the incitement of hatred, the ugliness that has engulfed this political season.”

Additionally, the group Jews Against Trump has publicly called for AIPAC to withdraw its invitation to the GOP frontrunner. An online petition posted by the organization describes Trump as “diametrically opposed to Jewish values.” They are joined in their opposition to Trump by The Union for Reform Judaism, which issued a statement outlining their objections to Trump’s campaign rhetoric.

“Mr. Trump is the unarguable frontrunner for the Republican nomination, and he has not yet spoken clearly about his views on U.S.-Israel issues. The AIPAC Policy Conference will give him an opportunity to do so, just as it does for other candidates,” the URJ said in excerpts from its statement that were re-published by International Business Times. “At the same time, we cannot ignore the many issues on which Mr. Trump has spoken clearly…. At every turn, Mr. Trump has chosen to take the low road, sowing seeds of hatred and division in our body politic.”

Donald Trump has been accused of inciting hatred of Muslims during the course of his campaign, causing some critics to draw parallels between his more incendiary comments and the anti-Semitism of Nazi Germany in the 1930s. The “loyalty oath” Trump leads during rallies has also been compared to the “Nazi salute.”

Trump has also garnered criticism for his public comments on the ongoing conflict between the State of Israel and the Palestinian people. The candidate has, on more than one occasion, indicated that he would be a “neutral guy” if elected president. Republican rival Ted Cruz has spoken out against Trump for his ambiguity in the matter.

“This is another area in which Donald agrees with Hillary Clinton,” Cruz said in remarks republished by Brietbart. “I disagree with them both strongly. Both Donald and Hillary Clinton want to be neutral, to use Donald’s word, between Israel and the Palestinians … “Let me be clear: If I’m President, America will stand unapologetically with the nation of Israel.”

As previously reported by Inquisitr, Donald Trump withdrew from a previously scheduled Republican debate to attend AIPAC. He announced his decision to withdraw from the event, prompting Republican contender John Kasich to follow suit. Fox News ultimately cancelled the debate.

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