Former US President Donald Trump accused Jews who vote for Democrats of “hating Israel and hating their religion,” sparking a storm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.

In response to a question from his former aide Sebastian Gorka about Democrats' criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding his handling of the war on the Gaza Strip, Trump said, "I actually think they hate Israel, and the Democratic Party hates Israel."

Trump, who last week became the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party, continued, saying, “Any Jewish person who votes for the Democrats hates his religion. They hate everything about Israel, and they should be ashamed of themselves because Israel will be destroyed.”

The comments sparked immediate backlash from the White House, President Joe Biden's campaign and Jewish leaders. Without mentioning Trump by name, White House spokesman Andrew Bates described the comments as “vile, despicable, and anti-Semitic rhetoric.”

“With anti-Semitic crimes and acts of hate on the rise around the world, including the deadliest attack against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, leaders have an obligation to call hate what it is and unite Americans against it,” Bates added.

As for the Biden election campaign, it said, “The only person who should be ashamed here is Donald Trump.” Campaign spokesman James Singer suggested that Trump would lose again in the presidential elections scheduled for next November, justifying this by saying that Americans are “tired of his hateful resentment, his personal attacks, and his extremist agenda.” ".

Jonathan Greenblatt, who heads the Anti-Defamation League, said: “Accusing Jews of hating their religion because they might vote for a particular party is slander and a clear lie.” “Serious leaders who care about the historic alliance between the United States and Israel should focus on strengthening partisan support for the State of Israel rather than undermining it,” he wrote on the X platform.

Trump's comments come at a time when Biden is facing increasing pressure from the progressive wing of his party due to his administration's support for Israel in its retaliatory attack on Gaza, in which more than 31,000 Palestinians were martyred since last October 7.

Biden continues to support what he considers "Israel's right to defend itself" and has increasingly criticized Netanyahu. He said - after his State of the Union address - that he needed to have what he called a “come to Jesus” conversation with the Israeli prime minister.

Biden also accused Netanyahu of "harming Israel more than helping it," adding, "He should pay more attention to the innocent lives that are lost as a result of the measures taken."

Schumer effect

Trump was particularly interested in recent comments by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the country's highest-ranking Jewish official, accusing him of being "very anti-Israel."

In a speech last week, Schumer strongly criticized Netanyahu's handling of the war in Gaza, warning that civilian casualties were "harming Israel's standing around the world" and also called on Israel to hold new elections.

While the White House formally distanced itself from Schumer's comments, the Democratic leader and key ally was increasingly expressing an opinion of the Biden administration.

Schumer responded to Trump's statements and accused him of making "extremely partisan and hateful statements," and wrote on the X platform, "Making Israel a partisan issue only harms Israel and the American-Israeli relationship."

It is noteworthy that the vast majority of Jewish Americans identify themselves as Democrats, but Trump has often accused them of disloyalty.

The Pew Research Center reported in 2021 that Jews are “among the most liberal and democratic groups in the United States,” with 7 out of 10 Jewish adults sympathizing with or leaning toward the Democratic Party.

In 2020, a poll found that nearly three-quarters of American Jews disapproved of Trump's performance as president, with only 27% rating him favorably.

Americans' dissatisfaction with the Israeli military operation in Gaza has also increased, according to polls conducted by the Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Last January, 50% of American adults said that the Israeli military response in the Gaza Strip had gone too far, compared to 40% last November, and this number was higher among Democrats, where 6 in 10 of them said the same. In both polls.