“It is appalling and outrageous that a Member of Congress would share a platform with an individual who has actively spread anti-Semitic bile, mocked the Holocaust and promoted dangerous anti-Israel conspiracy theories,” the Republican Jewish Coalition said in a news release.
(February 27, 2022 / JNS) Jewish organizations are condemning two members of Congress for speaking at a conference held by an organization that has been accused of anti-Semitism.
Rep. Marjorie Talyor Greene (R-Ga.) spoke at the American First Political Action Conference (AFPAC) hosted by Nick Fuentes, who has been accused of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) also spoke to the same conference by pre-recorded video.
Greene who has made and apologized for previous anti-Semitic statements and was removed by Republican leadership from her Congressional committee assignments, and Gosar, who has also spoken in-person to the same group and also removed from his committee assignments, were strongly condemned by Jewish organizations.
The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) said that there was no place in the Republican Party for Fuentes, which the release called a Nazi sympathizer, and his supporters, strongly condemning Greene and Gosar in a news release on Saturday.
“This is not the first time that it happens. Rep. Greene has repeatedly spread antisemitic conspiracy theories, trivialized the Holocaust, and used anti-Semitism for her own personal political power,” American Jewish Congress said in the release. “Not only has Rep. Gosar defended Rep. Greene’s behavior, but he has gone beyond, by leading the way with his participation at AFPAC in 2021, when he became the first sitting member of Congress to attend this extremist event. Moreover, he has been associated in the past with the white nationalist Nick Fuentes, including by openly fundraising with him.”
American Jewish Congress called for both members to be expelled from Congress.
“This sickening behavior of normalizing anti-Semitism and white supremacist beliefs, and directly associating with extremists, makes both Rep. Greene and Rep. Gosar unfit to serve in Congress.”
Greene defended herself on Twitter.
“I am not going to play the guilt by association game in which you demand every conservative should justify anything ever said by anyone they’ve ever shared a room with. I’m not going to be drawn into that. I’m only responsible for what I say,” Greene tweeted.
“So ask me about my speech. I talked about God and Liberty. I’m also not going to turn down the opportunity to speak to 1,200 young America First patriots because of a few off-color remarks by another speaker, even if I find those remarks unsavory. I want to embrace the young, boisterous and energetic conservatives in our movement—not cancel them like the establishment does.”