Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Speaks Out on Troubling Rise of Antisemitism

By Ward Clark | 2:29 PM on November 29, 2023

The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of RedState.com.

On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) gave a major speech condemning the troubling rise of antisemitism in the United States and elsewhere in the world. His speech included remarks on his own Jewish background, and not only his own family's background but the history of the Jewish people as well.

Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official ever in U.S. history, laid out in a 45-minute speech how Jews have felt isolated in the last month, called out recent examples of antisemitism in the U.S. and spoke about how trauma Jews have experienced for millennia is affecting how they feel today.
"No matter what our beliefs are, no matter where we stand on the war in Gaza, all of us must condemn antisemitism with full-throated clarity whenever we see it before it metastasizes into something even worse. Because right now, that’s what Jewish Americans fear most," Schumer said in remarks on the Senate floor.

Anyone to the right of center has found, over the years, uncountable times to disagree with Senator Schumer, but on this point, he is correct: The rise of antisemitism is troubling, all the more so because of the many historical precedents. Senator Schumer describes those as well:

Schumer listed numerous instances of Jews experiencing oppression over thousands of years, saying that "they have been humiliated, ostracized, expelled, enslaved, and massacred for millennia."
"For Jewish people all across the world, the history of our trauma going back many generations is central to any discussion about our future," he said.

You can view Senator Schumer's speech in its entirety here:

"After October 7th, Jewish-Americans are feeling singled out, targeted, and isolated, in many ways we feel alone."

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer gives a speech on antisemitism in America. pic.twitter.com/bvHsxHbCVr
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) November 29, 2023

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnel praised Senator Schumer's speech:

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., praised Schumer's remarks on the Senate floor. "It was extraordinary. I want to compliment him for providing a history lesson for Americans about the history of the Jewish people and to put it in context," he said.
"I share his disgust with the alarming rise of antisemitism in America and around the world," he said. "I stand with him in condemning this hatred and I stand with our ally Israel."

What Schumer did not mention were many troublesome remarks made by members of the Democratic Party, or by nominally independent Democrat ally Bernie Sanders.

Following the October 7th attacks on Israel and the resulting Israel Defense Forces attack on Gaza to hunt down and destroy Hamas, protests have erupted in Europe as well as the United States, and while both sides of the conflict are being represented, the pro-Hamas protests have resulted in attacks on police officials and pro-Israel counter-protesters.

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats continue to hold up an aid package to Israel, debating on whether conditions should be attached to such aid.

Read more RedState articles on antisemitism in the United States at the links below: