Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) criticized members of his own party who have shown antisemitic behavior, stressing that Democrats cannot be excused for harboring bigotry against Jews. Moskowitz emphasized that no one should be given a pass when it comes to such hateful attitudes and actions.
“I am filled with anger, and I firmly believe that the Jewish community has every right to feel the same way,” expressed the Florida representative during an impassioned speech. The occasion was the acceptance of the prestigious “Ray of Light in Darkness” award from the Israel advocacy organization, EMET. The event took place at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington D.C. on Tuesday evening.
Moskowitz has experienced firsthand the impact of antisemitism. In a recent incident, he disclosed that a deranged individual, armed and carrying a manifesto filled with “antisemitic rhetoric,” was apprehended near his residence. What is even more alarming is that Moskowitz’s name was included on a “target list” found in the possession of the suspect.
In addition, his grandmother is a Holocaust survivor whose parents tragically lost their lives in Auschwitz.
During his speech, Moskowitz expressed his disbelief at the things a certain child had told him. He described her as one of those children you hear about, who share stories that seem unbelievable. Moskowitz never expected to witness the same currents and themes that she had mentioned.
Ever since Hamas carried out a brutal attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in the loss of 1,200 lives, 254 people being held captive, and thousands being injured, there has been a significant increase in antisemitic hate crimes in the United States. Jewish students on college campuses have also been subjected to harassment and intimidation by their anti-Israel peers.
In a scathing critique, the Florida congressman condemned his left-wing colleagues for ignoring the challenges faced by the Jewish community.
He specifically criticized his “progressive colleagues who have fought tirelessly for the protection of endangered species, but remained silent when it came to the issue of Jews.”
Moskowitz called on Jews from all ends of the ideological spectrum to come together and demand that both Republicans and Democrats take action against antisemitism within their respective parties.
In September, Dale Cooper, a self-proclaimed historian, made an appearance on Carlson’s podcast and controversially asserted that Winston Churchill played the role of the “chief villain” during World War II.
Cooper further claimed that the Holocaust was an unintended outcome resulting from Germany’s inadequate war planning. Moskowitz has shown bravery by standing up to his own party on previous occasions.
During that time, he mentioned, “I have 10-year-old and 7-year-old Jewish children. I am not sure if they support or oppose genocide. I suppose I will have a conversation with them about it.”
In April 2023, Omar was removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee due to her history of antisemitic remarks. One of her notable remarks was a tweet from 2012 where she accused Israel of “hypnotizing the world” and prayed for Allah to open people’s eyes to Israel’s evil deeds.
According to Moskowitz, it remains to be seen whether the Democrats will have to take additional measures to address antisemitism from Omar or other progressive representatives.
According to the Florida politician, Democrats display a double standard when it comes to discrimination against Jews compared to other minority groups.
“Why is it that when a student wears a Jewish star around their neck, they become a target for assault while walking to class? Nobody knows if they support the war or Netanyahu, but they are subjected to such violence. If it were a minority student instead, would any of this have continued beyond the first day?” questioned the speaker.
According to Moskowitz, although there is antisemitism within his party, he intends to continue being a Democrat. He cautioned that if antisemitism or support for Israel were to become a “partisan issue,” it would not be in the best interest of American Jews.
“We don’t want individuals who are combatting antisemitism in my party to leave,” he emphasized. “It’s not what we desire. It is crucial for Jews in this country to unite, as we are the ones being targeted.”
The Florida politician, who had previously served as an aide to the late Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, expressed his disappointment that Jews, who had historically fought for other persecuted minority groups, felt abandoned during their own time of need.
“We have consistently been at the forefront of supporting other minority groups in this country, standing up for their rights when they needed help. However, when we ourselves needed their support, they turned their backs on us, plain and simple.”