Antisemitic attacks against Jews have been on the increase in America and around the world. To deal with domestic attacks, the White House released in late May its National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism. "Protecting the Jewish community from antisemitism is essential to our broader fight against all forms of hate, bigotry, and bias – and to our broader vision of a thriving, inclusive, and diverse democracy," the 60-page document states.
Dov Hikind of Americans Against Antisemitism tells AFN the Biden administration's plan is an impressive document – but in reaction to the White House's claim it is fighting "all forms" of bigotry, he wonders why the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is listed as part of that strategy.
"When you include this antisemitic group [CAIR] as part of the solution, then something is terribly, terribly wrong," says Hikind.
According to the Simon Wiesenthal Center, CAIR is one of the top ten anti-Semitic organizations in the world and has long been a source of antisemitism, "spreading radicalization [across the U.S.] through its ties to the Muslim Brotherhood – including Hamas."
Groups like CAIR "always wrap their bigotry in the mantle of social justice [with the goal of] demonizing the Jewish state and silencing Israel's supporters on campus and Capitol Hill," the Center adds.
Hikind provides a little more in-depth information that has been uncovered over years of investigations. "CAIR is an organization that has actually been involved in supporting terrorist organizations in the Middle East," he tells AFN. "This is an organization that supports antisemitic concepts of boycott, divestment and sanctions [BDS] of Israel" – yet vocally condemns attacks on Arabs both in the U.S. and around the world.
Either the White House isn't aware of that history, says Hikind – "or maybe they are and they just don't care."
