Major pro-Israel donor accuses Muslim US lawmaker of being anti-Semite

Rasa - A major Israeli-American billionaire donor to the US Democratic Party has tried to obstruct the nomination of a Muslim congressman to become chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), accusing him of adopting an “anti-Israel” stance.

News ID: 425511

Date: 04 December 2016 - 16:58

RNA - Haim Saban, who donated millions of dollars to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, has accused Democratic Congressman Keith Ellison from the state of Minnesota of being an "anti-Semite and anti-Israel individual," local news outlets reported Saturday.

The remarks by the wealthy pro-Israel donor came as Ellison was trying to shore up support in his efforts to become the next DNC chairman.

"If you go back to his positions, his papers, his speeches, the way he has voted, he is clearly an anti-Semite and anti-Israel individual," Saban claimed on Friday during a forum at the Washington-based think tank, the Brookings Institution, as cited by CNN.

"Words matter and actions matter more. Keith Ellison would be a disaster for the relationship between the Jewish community and the Democratic Party,” he added in what the TV network described as an unprompted statement.

This is while a major pro-Israeli Jewish organization in the US, called the Anti-defamation League (ADL), also slammed Ellison over his remarks on the Israeli regime in a 2010 address, questioning his ability to “represent the Democratic Party's traditional support for a strong and secure Israel."

The group further alleged that the Muslim lawmaker had raised "the specter of age-old stereotypes about Jewish control of our government."

Ellison, meanwhile, responded to the claim by describing himself as "a strong supporter” of Israel, adding that he has voted for more than $27 billion in aid to the regime and was “committed” to its safety.

Ellison further stated that he was "saddened" by the ADL's statement but looks forward to working with them.

ADL is among the many pro-Israeli organizations in the US that actively campaigns to defame and censure any criticism of Israel or Jewish individuals as “anti-Semite.”

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