Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke in personal terms against the rise of antisemitism in the United States following the October attacks by Hamas in Israel.
“No matter what our beliefs are, no matter where we stand on the war in Gaza, all of us must condemn antisemitism with full-throated clarity whenever we see it before it metastasizes into something even worse,” Schumer said in lengthy floor remarks. “Because right now, that’s what Jewish Americans fear most.”
Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish official in U.S. history, added: “This is no intellectual exercise for us. For many Jewish people, it feels like a matter of survival, informed once again by history — in this case, very personal history to me.”
In more than 30 minutes of remarks, Schumer alluded — without naming the lawmaker — to the use of the slogan “from the river to the sea” that led to Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) being censured by the House earlier in November.
“For Jewish people all across the world, the history of our trauma going back many generations is central to any discussion about our future,” Schumer said. “When Jewish people hear chants like ‘from the river to the sea,’ — a founding slogan of Hamas, a terrorist group that is not shy about their goal to eradicate the Jewish people in Israel and around the globe — we are alarmed.”
Schumer said his “fervent plea” is that young Americans learn the history of the Jewish people and “reject the illogical and antisemitic double standard that is once again being applied to the plight of Jewish victims and hostages, to some of the actions of the Israeli government, and even to the very existence of a Jewish state” and why Jewish Americans defend Israel.
The majority leader also referenced the shooting of three Palestinian students in Burlington, Vt. and stressed: “The Arab American community is a vital part of our nation and of my city, and I condemn unequivocally any vitriol and hatred against them.”
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called Schumer’s speech “extraordinary” and voiced support for the Democratic leader’s comments against the rise in antisemitism. “I want to compliment him for providing a history lesson for Americans about the history of the Jewish people,” McConnell said on the floor. “I share his disgust at the alarming rise of antisemitism in America and around the world in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks.”
