WASHINGTON – After President Trump issued a new executive order on antisemitism late Wednesday, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, an organization that mobilizes 2,300 rabbis and cantors nationally, responded with concern that the executive order uses opposing antisemitism as a smokescreen for cracking down on immigrants, stifling freedom of speech on college campuses, and undermining due process.
Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO of T’ruah, said:
“As a rabbinic organization, we hear regularly from rabbis and community members contending with antisemitic bomb threats, harassment, graffiti, and even violence. We know that many Jewish students on campus often feel unsupported and frightened. Bold and decisive action is desperately needed to confront this vile hatred. However, this executive order does nothing to make Jews safer. Instead, it preys on the legitimate fears of American Jews to reinforce racist anti-Arab, anti-Muslim, and anti-Palestinian stereotypes that equate immigrants with terrorists.
“The practical implications of this executive order are not yet clear. Much of it constitutes a redundant repetition of existing law and reporting requirements. Immigration law already bars entry to ‘any alien – who endorses or espouses terrorist activity’ and to any non-citizen ‘associated with a terrorist organization [who] intends while in the United States to engage solely, principally, or incidentally in activities that could endanger the welfare, safety, or security of the United States.’ There are also existing legal avenues for investigation and prosecuting antisemitic hate crimes.
“Instead, this executive order seems intended to encourage division and a climate of fear, while scapegoating immigrants for the rise in antisemitism on campus. But the answer to rising antisemitism is not to silence free speech, target activists, or attack foreign students. What students need is dialogue, education, and the protection of their rights. As Justice Brandeis famously said, the remedy for false or problematic speech is ‘more speech, not enforced silence.’
“Jews understand the danger of laws that allow for deporting people based on political speech. The Immigration Act of 1918 permitted the expulsion of ‘alien anarchists,’ including Emma Goldman and other Jewish, Italian, and foreign-born activists. We are concerned that this executive order will be interpreted as permission to carry out deportations or strip students of their visas without due process.
“This executive order is yet another attempt to distract from the antisemitism in President Trump’s own party. If President Trump truly wanted to address antisemitism, as the text of this executive order claims, he would not have pardoned the neo-Nazis and other violent extremists who attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021. He would have swiftly and publicly reprimanded Elon Musk for making a Nazi salute at the presidential podium. He would stop equating Jews with Israel and accusing Jews of disloyalty to himself and the United States. And he would not have continually given a platform to white nationalists. It is clear that President Trump is concerned only with attacking immigrants, punishing protesters, and creating a culture of fear and surveillance, and not with the best interests of the Jewish community.
“Combating hate requires empathy, education, and the building of bridges — not the destruction of dialogue and the squashing of free speech. We call on all leaders to abandon this dangerous course and to commit to policies that promote true safety, understanding, and mutual respect. Only through relationships and education can we stand against the rising tide of hate and antisemitism.”
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About T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights brings the Torah’s ideals of human dignity, equality, and justice to life by empowering our network of over 2,300 rabbis and cantors to be moral voices and to lead Jewish communities in advancing democracy and human rights for all people in the United States, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territories.