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Pro-Israel Groups Avoid Denouncing Bannon


banKey members of Washington’s pro-Israel community, along with Israeli government officials, are avoiding criticism of the controversial Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon, even as some top Jewish-American leaders and groups including the Anti-Defamation League denounce him for anti-Semitism.

The uproar over Bannon and growing anxiety over signs of anti-Semitism among some Trump supporters has created a political test for some American Jews, particularly those focused on foreign policy. Some described feeling torn between personal disgust and a desire not to pick an early fight with a president whom they hope will be a strong defender of Israel.

“On a personal level I’d like to go bananas about it,” said one Washington Jewish activist. “On a professional level it would be malpractice. We don’t know what [Bannon’s appointment] means.”

Although Bannon is not expected to play a major foreign policy role, many American and Israeli Jews are appalled at the ascension to the West Wing of Bannon, a man they say at a minimum condoned anti-Semitism as the editor of the conservative website Breitbart.com and in some of Trump’s campaign messaging. Bannon was also accused by his ex-wife of disparaging Jewish people in a 2007 child-custody proceeding.

In a statement on Sunday the Anti-Defamation League called Bannon “hostile to core American values,” while other Jewish leaders have charged that Trump’s campaign attacks on “global special interests”—including a campaign ad featuring prominent Jews like financier George Soros and Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen—had clear anti-Semitic undertones. The Trump campaign rejects those charges, as do friends and associates of Bannon.

But the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)—which focuses on U.S. foreign policy, and which sources said is likely mindful of preserving its influence over the incoming administration’s Middle East policies—has declined to weigh in.

READ MORE: POLITICO



6 Responses

  1. nope.
    bannon is a good guy. check out all the 42 million articles and attestments to that.
    MSM is trying their hardest to spin this election into as bad as they could.
    I can basically prove I’m right just by the fact that the ADL doesnt like him-so I do:)

  2. He is a better friend to Israel then any lousy liberal Jew like Shumer or Sanders..
    Or Soros. Liberal Jews are worse then the KKK..or Hamas or ISIS..in my opinion..

  3. Oh please
    I lookes at his website expecting to sèe some blatant anti semetism.
    Couldn’t believe it.
    Its most pro Israel new source that exists.
    But of course all these media outlets who have such a clear anti Israel bias the same ones who call him anti semetic just love the Jews so much.

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