Eli Newman | March 4th, 2020
For many Jews, fear of anti-Semitism runs as a current through this election. Bloomberg and Sanders both found themselves portrayed as conduits for enabling such behavior, and each could fit into longtime contrasting anti-Semitic stereotypes: the wealthy plutocrat banker and the revolutionary socialist. Some in the party are concerned that the issue lies primarily with the current president.
“Donald Trump himself represents such an existential threat,” says Noah Arbit, founder of the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus. “He is the most anti-Semitic president since Richard Nixon.”
Arbit cites a recent spike in anti-Semitic violence as a primary concern for Jewish voters, more so than support for Israel. “We have to do a better job of parsing out anti-Semitism and anti-Israel,” he says. “We all have different opinions about Israel and how to best support it.”
