A retraction is in order. Last week, I commended Joe Biden’s campaign for having the decency to denounce Linda Sarsour, the anti-Semitic activist pushed out of the Women’s March for bigotry, after she appeared during a daytime meeting at the virtual Democratic National Convention. The public statement reiterating his support for Israel and disagreement with Sarsour’s views was especially notable as it came while President Trump was congratulating an anti-Semitic QAnon conspiracy theorist and self-professed Islamophobe for winning their congressional primaries.
But apparently, Biden’s team balked and covered to the Farrakhan lobby, with the Middle East Eye reporting that Ashley Allison, national coalitions director for the Biden campaign, told a group of “activists” that she was “sorry” for the initial Sarsour statement in an off-the-record call.
“Historically, Republicans and Democrats have been quick to dismiss Muslim, Arab American, and especially Palestinian American voices, and I want to reiterate on behalf of all of us our support for your communities,” Biden foreign policy adviser Tony Blinken reportedly said, promising that Biden’s administration would be “genuinely inclusive.”
But when pressed by CNN’s Jake Tapper about the story, top Biden aide Symone Sanders said the campaign “continue[s] to reject the views that Linda Sarsour has expressed.”
So which is it? Is Team Biden sorry for denouncing anti-Israel policies like boycotts, divestment, and sanctions, and Sarsour’s anti-Semitism, or do they stand by it? This should be an easy call, and its not particularly close.
Consider, no reasonable person would ever expect a conservative to apologize for denouncing white supremacist David Duke because he had the correct position on welfare reform. Ditto for expecting a Democrat to align themselves with Kermit Gosnell because they’re pro-choice. Bigotry as rank as Sarsour’s defines her person, leaving all policy issues, many of those she supports anti-Semitic as well, by the wayside.
Team Biden cannot have their cake and eat it too. Either anti-Semitism is unconditionally unacceptable, or it isn’t. Based on what’s transpiring behind closed doors, it may be the latter. Maybe one of our firefighting pool reporters can actually ask a tough question and find out.
