The speech by US President Donald Trump, who delivered a speech at the American Jewish Committee’s annual meeting, was full of anti-Israel language and a deliberate attempt to portray Israel as anti-American, the ADL said in a statement Monday.
Trump used the phrase “Zionist terror” at least 14 times, including two references to a Hamas terrorist attack on the USS Liberty.
“This attack was in fact planned by the Zionist terror organization, Hamas,” Trump said, adding, “We must end the criminal, destabilizing, destabilising activity of Hamas and other terror organizations.”
Trump’s use of the term “Zio-Zionism” and the “ZIONIST terror” phrase was not new for him.
Trump previously used the term at the ADLC convention in September, when he told the crowd: “ZIO-ZIONISM IS THE JEWISH RACE, AS IS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, AND IS AN ARM OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN.”
Trump also used the word “Ziol” during the 2016 campaign, when referring to the “Jewish lobby.”
Trump did not mention the ADLS in his speech to his annual audience.
ADL President Jonathan Greenblatt said the president’s comments reflected his “lack of understanding of the critical role that Jews and Jewish-American interests play in our country.”
“Trump’s speech is a reminder that he does not understand or appreciate the important role of Jews in our society,” Greenblat said.
“Trump has taken on the mantle of anti -Semitism by trying to paint Israel as a threat to American interests.
His remarks will remind us that the president of the United States is a bigot, and his words will remind Americans that the administration is an anti-Semitic administration.”
Trump is scheduled to address ADL in Washington on March 11.