Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, on Wednesday warned that some liberals and young people were “unknowingly aiding and abetting” antisemitism in the name of social justice, fueling a dangerous rise in bigotry against Jews amid Israel’s war against Hamas.
In a deeply personal speech from the Senate floor aimed largely at members of his own party, Mr. Schumer, the country’s highest-ranking Jewish elected official, issued a more than 40-minute explanation and condemnation of antisemitism in America that has flared since Israel began retaliating against Hamas for its Oct. 7 terrorist attack against defenseless Israeli civilians.
In the wake of the attack, he said, many Americans had skipped over any expression of sympathy for the victims and instead attacked the past actions of the Israeli government against the Palestinians.
“Can anybody imagine a horrific terrorist attack in another country receiving such a reception?” he asked, noting that the long arc of history had taught Jews a painful lesson: “ultimately, that we are alone.”
Persons:
Chuck Schumer, “, Schumer, Israel, ”
Organizations:
Hamas
Locations:
New York, America