Liberal Israel group says Trump ‘cannot be a friend of Israel’

After US President Donald Trump lashed out at minority women members of Congress in a series of racist tweets urging them to “go back” where they “came from,” the head of liberal advocacy group the New Israel Fund slams the president for “sowing fear and mistrust” and using Israel to “deflect criticism of his bigotry.”

“Trump has done his best to deflect criticism of his bigotry by calling himself a defender of Israel,” says NIF CEO Daniel Sokatch in a statement. “But when Trump wields racist tropes, he has no standing to call himself a friend of Israel. Because an enemy of democracy cannot be a friend of Israel.”

The statement reads: “Democracy is measured by the protections afforded to minorities. The greatness of the United States comes when we welcome the newcomer, and expand the scope of freedoms for all. President Donald Trump understands none of this. His is a narrow and exclusive vision, rooted in sowing fear and mistrust. His hateful rhetoric is corrosive to our democracy.

“NIF fights every day for an Israel that is accountable to the vision of its founding. We fight for Israel’s healthy democracy: one that protects minority rights, and cares for immigrants and refugees seeking better lives within its borders. Standing with the people of Israel, like standing with the people of the United States, means standing with all people regardless of race, religion or national origin.”