Trump: ‘Anti-Semitic threats…are horrible and painful’

Trump said that the bomb threats against Jewish community centers were a reminder of the need to “root out hate, prejudice and evil.”

President Donald Trump condemned the many bomb threats against Jewish community centers throughout the United States, referring to them as “horrible” and “painful” during remarks on Tuesday after touring the National Museum of African-American History and Culture.

“The anti-Semitic threats targeting our Jewish community and community centers are horrible and painful and a very sad reminder of the work that still must be done to root out hate and prejudice and evil,” said Trump.

“This tour was a meaningful reminder of why we have to fight bigotry, intolerance and hatred in all of its very ugly forms.”

Trump, who has Jewish grandchildren from a marriage between his daughter Ivanka, a Jewish convert and that of Jewish son-in-law Jared Kushner, has expressed sensitivity to any charge of anti-Semitism thrown in his direction. Trump appeared to have misunderstood a question posed by Jake Turx, an orthodox Jew serving as the White House correspondent for Ami Magazine, who asked the president about countering such anti-Semitic threats.

“It’s not a simple question, not a fair question,” Trump responded. “I am the least anti-Semitic person that you have ever seen in your entire life.”

At a joint press conference the day before, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said that “there is no greater supporter of the Jewish people and the Jewish state than President Donald Trump.”

By: Jonathan Benedek, World Israel News

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