The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) condemns President Trump’s recent remarks shared through twitter suggesting that four Members of Congress—each of whom is an American citizen—should go back to their countries of origin. The Congresswomen in question are no less American than the President himself and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Such rhetoric is xenophobic, racist and highly divisive and sends a message not just to the elected officials he named but to millions of immigrants, many of whom have long been naturalized, that they are less than full Americans with an equal voice in our democracy.

“It seems hypocritical, and not the least bit ironic, to engage in bigotry as a means of challenging someone else’s alleged bigotry,” stated Michael Fromm, JCPA board chair. “We expect our President to model civil discourse, which JCPA has long stood for.”

We are also concerned with the President invoking Israel in his tweets. “While we appreciate his support of the Jewish state, we would respectfully request that he not use Israel as a wedge issue in a political fight with Democrats,” stated David Bernstein, JCPA’s President. “Support for Israel is a bi-partisan issue and must remain so in the future.”