Major Jewish groups raise alarm

The Jewish Council for Public Affairs issued a statement — with signatories from throughout the Jewish world, including major Reform and Conservative organizations — expressing “deep alarm over recent attacks on democratic norms.” 

This statement was issued Feb. 7, by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, and the Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Assembly, with additional signatories.    

The statement argues that “what we are experiencing now goes far beyond policy disagreements with the federal administration. It is a direct assault on the very principles that underpin our democracy – principles including equal justice under the law; the protection of fundamental civil liberties and civil rights; a commitment to rejecting dehumanization and political violence; and the upholding of checks and balances, accountability, and transparency in our government.” 

The statement contends that the Trump administration is responsible for “the scapegoating and dehumanization of immigrants, people of color, transgender people, and other marginalized groups …” The signatories also decry “the pardoning of violent insurrectionists, while the investigators and prosecutors who brought them to justice have been fired or otherwise threatened. Countless other public servants have been removed, attacked, investigated, or punished for a perceived lack of loyalty to the President.” 

The statement continues: “History has made clear that our safety as Jews is inextricably linked with inclusive, pluralistic democracy and with the rights and safety of all people. When the rule of law and democratic norms are threatened, antisemitism invariably increases and Jews – and all communities – are made less safe. We will continue to stand up for these core principles and act as national and local bulwarks against attacks on democracy — because we know where this leads, and because our safety and our values demand no less.” 

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