Former President Barack Obama appeared to fault former President Donald Trump for a recent rise in antisemitic incidents throughout the United States.
In an email interview with Jewish Insider, published on Monday, Obama spoke about “negative and divisive trends” in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, which led to multiple deaths and created a political shockwave in the country. The 44th president, who referenced a speech he gave at the Embassy of Israel in his last year in office, appeared to suggest Trump’s time in the White House led to a rise in anti-Jewish hate.
“When I gave that speech, it was clear that anti-Semitism was on the rise around the world,” Obama wrote. “People’s anger over everything from immigration to inequality was boiling over — and many of them were looking for someone else to blame. And for four years, we had a President in the White House who fanned those flames.”
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“So while I never anticipated what happened at the Capitol on January 6th, some of the negative and divisive trends that we’ve seen at home and around the world have contributed to a rise in anti-Semitism and other forms of hate,” he added. “In many cases, I’ve been pleased to see these acts of hate countered by far larger expressions of solidarity. People are recognizing that we all have a responsibility to stand together against bigotry and violence, to not be silent but there will always be a need for vigilance against anti-Semitism.”
On May 20, the Anti-Defamation League reported a rise in antisemitic rhetoric in the U.S. following 11 days of bitter fighting between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas. At least 232 Palestinians were killed, including 65 children and 39 women, while more than 1,900 sustained injuries, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Twelve were slain in Israel, and more than 4,000 rockets were exchanged between the two foes.
Dueling protests occurred in the U.S., and residents saw several occasions where Jewish citizens were beaten, chased, or subjected to vitriol.
In the interview, Obama said U.S. Jews and the black community share a common bond in understanding “the dark side of human nature.”
“Black and Jewish Americans understand the dark side of human nature better than just about anyone,” he said. “We’ve seen people at their worst. But we also know that progress is possible, and that ordinary people can make a difference — not just for those who look like them or worship the same God, but for everyone.”
“That’s the legacy of Blacks and Jews coming together through the civil rights movement to insist upon equal rights — that understanding that injustice should spur people to action and to a sense of solidarity, and that collective activism can succeed in making change,” he continued.
During his four years in office, Trump touted several pro-Israel policies during his tenure, including a May 2018 decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and recognize the U.S. ally’s claim to the area.
“For many years, we failed to acknowledge the obvious: the plain truth that Israel’s capital is Jerusalem. Today, we follow through on this recognition and open our embassy in the historic … city of Jerusalem,” Trump said at the time.
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Trump’s post-presidency office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Washington Examiner.
