(JTA) — President Donald Trump reiterated his rejection of anti-Semitic bigotry and hate attacks in a proclamation for Jewish American Heritage Month.
“Tragically, Jewish men, women, and children continue to face anti-Semitic discrimination, persecution, and violence today, and Jewish institutions and places of worship remain targets of vandalism and destruction,” Trump wrote for the commemoration in May. “Such unconscionable acts are an abomination to all decent and compassionate people. Hatred is intolerable and has no place in our hearts or in our society. We must therefore vigorously confront anti-Semitic discrimination and violence against members of the Jewish community.”
The president touted his executive order on anti-Semitism issued in December that directs “robust” enforcement of existing civil rights protections for Jews on college campuses under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The order, which garnered controversy, says attackers target Jews because they perceive them to be a race or having a shared national identity.
Trump also stressed his administration’s ongoing “efforts to combat racist and anti-Semitic discrimination,” and highlighted his executive order earlier this month in his Holocaust Remembrance Day proclamation.
He also praised the American Jewish community, writing that “Jewish Americans strengthen, sustain, and inspire our country through dedication to family, respect for cherished traditions, and commitment to the values of justice and equality that unite Americans of every faith and background. We give thanks for the profound contributions that Jewish Americans continue to make to our society, and way of life.”
