Kamala Harris: Singling out Israel over hatred of Jews is antisemitism
US Vice President says it is important to prosecute after hate crimes reached record levels last year
Michael Daventry is Jewish News’s foreign and broadcast editor
US Vice President Kamala Harris used a conference speech on Sunday to make clear she believes it is antisemitic to single out Israel for criticism when it is motivated by anti-Jewish hatred.
She told the Never is Now event organised by the Anti-Defamation League that it was important to prosecute after more hate crimes were reported in a single year in the country than in the past two decades.
Harris’s remarks came after she was criticised by Republican and some Jewish groups last month for not responding more forcefully to a student who told her Israel was committing ethnic genocide.
She told the conference: “In two days, we will mark 83 years since Kristallnacht, the night of unthinkable evil that foreshadowed more evil to come.
“Sadly, we know that antisemitism is not a relic of the past. In fact, in recent years, the Jewish American community has faced an alarming rise in hate crime.”
“Last year, more hate crimes were reported in our nation than in the past 20 years. And as we know, these crimes are not confined to the United States. antisemitism persists around the world.
“And I want to be very clear about this, when Jews are targeted because of their beliefs or their identity, when Israel is singled out because of anti-Jewish hatred, that is antisemitism and that is unacceptable.”
This year’s ADL conference is the second in a row to be held virtually because of the pandemic, and will feature speakers including Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
