Democrats ’embracing antisemitism,’ warns Jewish lawmaker

Republican congressman accuses Democrats of “embracing antisemitism” while praising his own party for “rooting out” anti-Jewish bigotry. 

By World Israel News Staff

A Jewish congressman warned Monday that American Jews face a defining fight against rising antisemitism, using an address at The Jerusalem Post’s 2026 New York Conference to praise President Donald Trump, criticize Democrats and urge Jews to respond with public pride and political resolve.

Rep. Randy Fine, a Florida Republican and one of the most outspoken pro-Israel members of Congress, said Jewish history showed that survival depended on strength rather than retreat.

“In the 3,000-year history of the Jewish people, those who have prospered the most have been those who have leaned into the fight,” Fine said. “We are fortunate to have friends in that fight, and we have no greater friend than Donald J. Trump.”

Fine, who represents Florida’s 6th Congressional District, won a special election in April 2025 after Mike Waltz left Congress to become Trump’s national security adviser.

He has embraced the nickname “Hebrew Hammer” and built a reputation as a combative defender of Israel and a sharp critic of anti-Israel activism.

At the conference, Fine cast Trump as a uniquely strong ally of both Israel and American Jews.

“Israel has never had a greater ally than President Trump, but American Jews have never had a greater ally than President Trump either,” Fine said. “It is why, in the Republican Party, we are rooting out antisemitism, while in the Democratic Party they are embracing antisemitism.”

Fine’s comments also came after two Republican lawmakers frequently accused by Jewish and pro-Israel groups of promoting antisemitic rhetoric left or were pushed toward leaving Congress.

Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky lost his Republican primary last month to Trump-backed Navy SEAL veteran Ed Gallrein after a campaign in which pro-Israel groups accused him of “trafficking in antisemitism,” including over an ad targeting Jewish Republican donor Paul Singer.

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who had long faced accusations of antisemitism over conspiracy theories and anti-Israel rhetoric, resigned from Congress earlier this year after a break with Trump and the party’s leadership.

The Florida Republican’s remarks came as Jewish organizations and law enforcement data continue to show elevated levels of antisemitism in the United States since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and the war in Gaza.

The Anti-Defamation League said in May that it recorded 6,274 antisemitic incidents in the United States in 2025, down 33% from 2024 but still the third-highest annual total since the organization began tracking such incidents in 1979. The group also said antisemitic assaults reached a record high in 2025.

FBI data released last year showed anti-Jewish hate crimes rose nearly 6% in 2024, reaching the highest level since the bureau began reporting the category, according to a statement from the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism.

Fine also addressed Iran, saying the US and Israel must prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

“We face the challenge of ensuring that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon,” he said. “Fortunately, we have a president who doesn’t just make promises — he keeps them.”

Fine used much of his speech to urge Jews to adopt a more assertive public posture.

“There is a new kind of Jew — the one who is not afraid, the one who is willing to fight,” Fine said. “I can fight for you in Washington, but I am just one voice. We must stand up, and we must fight with all of our strength and all of our power.”

“We are here to stay. We are going nowhere,” he said. “We are proud of who we are, and together we will ensure that the United States remains safe for Jews, that Israel remains strong, and that our days ahead will be greater than those behind us.”