EGN NEWS DESK
Former President Donald Trump vowed to reinstate his journey ban that barred individuals from some predominantly Muslim international locations and develop it to stop refugees from war-torn Gaza from getting into the U.S.
“I’ll ban refugee resettlement from terror infested areas just like the Gaza Strip, and we’ll seal our border and produce again the journey ban,” Trump mentioned Thursday night in Washington at an occasion alongside Republican donor and billionaire Miriam Adelson.
“Remember the well-known journey ban? We didn’t take individuals from sure areas of the world,” Trump added “We’re not taking them from infested international locations.”
Trump initially put in place a model of his journey ban—one of many signature measures of his presidency—every week after taking workplace, triggering chaos at airports and sparking protests. Judges blocked the preliminary ban however modifications to the coverage ultimately led to it being upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, which rejected claims that it focused Muslims.
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The Republican presidential nominee’s remarks got here at an occasion targeted on combating antisemitism, as he sought to boost his outreach to Jewish voters earlier than November’s election towards Vice President Kamala Harris, his Democratic opponent.
Throughout the speech, Trump steadily prompt his backing for Israel ought to lead to higher political help amongst Jewish Americans.
He repeatedly complained he had not “been handled proper” as a result of polls confirmed a majority of Jewish Americans supported his opponent, and mentioned that he believed “Jewish individuals would have rather a lot to do with a loss” within the presidential election.
“There’s no manner that I ought to be getting 40% of the vote—I’m the one who’s defending you,” Trump mentioned.
Trump at one level prompt that Israel itself ought to defeat Harris. “More than any individuals on Earth, Israel has to defeat her,” he mentioned.
The former president added that Israel’s very existence may hinge on the election: “If I don’t win, I imagine Israel can be eradicated,” he mentioned.
Trump has repeatedly come below criticism for remarks asserting that American Jews must be unquestioningly supportive of the Israeli authorities.
In an interview in March, Trump accused Jewish individuals who help Democrats of hating their faith and Israel. Trump has sought to grab on divisions amongst Democrats over Israel’s warfare towards Hamas, designated a terrorist group by the U.S. and European Union.
In a July radio interview, Trump attacked Harris, saying she “doesn’t like Jewish individuals” and that she had appeared irritated throughout a gathering with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. When the radio host criticized Harris’ husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, calling him a “crappy Jew,” Trump responded “yeah.”
Emhoff is the primary Jewish partner of a U.S. president or vice chairman and has been a vocal advocate towards antisemitism, together with main the administration’s technique on the problem.
Read More: What to Know About Doug Emhoff, Prospective First Gentleman
After Trump’s speech on Thursday night time, Amy Spitalnick, chief government officer of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs issued a rebuke of his remarks. “Trump continues to label Jews who don’t help him as disloyal and loopy, to play into harmful twin loyalty tropes, and responsible Jews for a possible electoral loss,” she mentioned. “At the identical time, he continues to normalize antisemitic extremism.”
Trump has drawn criticism for interactions with antisemites and white supremacists, together with a dinner at Mar-a-Lago in November 2022 with Nick Fuentes, a Holocaust denier.
A Pew Research Center survey performed from Aug. 26 to Sept. 2 discovered 65% of Jewish registered voters help or are leaning towards Harris, with 34% for Trump.
The warfare in Gaza has introduced a political problem for Harris, with progressives and youthful voters crucial of President Joe Biden’s help for Israel. Harris, whereas backing Israel’s proper to defend itself has expressed extra empathy for Palestinian struggling than Biden through the warfare.
