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February 1 1, 2019

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi The Honorable Steny H. Hoyer
Speaker of the House Majority Leader

US. Capitol US. Capitol
Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC. 20515

The Honorable James E. Clybum The Honorable Ben Ray Luj an
Majority Whip Assistant Speaker

US. Capitol US. Capitol

Washington, DC. 20515 Washington, DC. 20515

The Honorable Hakeem effries
Democratic Caucus Chairman
Longworth HOB
Washington, DC. 20515

Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader Hoyer, Whip Clyburn, Assistant Speaker Lujan, and Chairman Jeffries:

We are honored to serve in the most diverse Congress in American history, alongside Members from
many different backgrounds. We also are proud of the fact that Americans freely hold different
opinions about our foreign policy. That said, we feel strongly that we cannot return to a time when it
was considered fair game to question the motives, patriotism, and loyalty of some members of
Congress.

As Jewish Members of Congress, we are deeply alarmed by recent rhetoric from certain members
within our Caucus, including just last night, that has disparaged us and called into question our loyalty
to our nation. We urge you to join us in calling on each member of our Caucus to unite against anti-
Semitism and hateful tropes and stereotypes.

The recent accusations and insinuations about Jews and supporters of the Jewish State of Israel, are
especially concernng because American Jews have long had to deal with such false accusations, often
times from the highest levels of our government. In 1934, as reports of Nazi oppression of German
Jews began to surface, Representative Louis McFadden read into the Congressional record excerpts
from the infamous anti-Semitic tract ?The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.? These accusations and
slurs can also be heard in the taped conversations of President Richard Nixon released in 2013.

Today, anti-Semites and white-nationalists on the fringes have embraced new and even more
dangerous variations of the dual loyalty charge. We witnessed this in Charlottesville in 2017 as white
supremacists and neo-Nazis openly chanted ?Jews will not replace us.? They used our leaders?
rhetoric to justify their own definition of who is, and who is not, American. We have also witnessed
this hatred in the reprehensible words of Louis Farrakhan. And, most tragically, this hatred manifested
in the murder of eleven worshippers at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh last fall by a man
motivated by hate and age-old anti?Semitic tropes. According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL),
reported anti-Semitic incidents in the United States rose by 57% in 2017, the largest single?year
increase on record. These same trends have appeared around the world.

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In recent weeks, we havehad conversations with multiple members of our Caucus who share our
concerns about this rhetoric; we have also raised these concerns with Democratic leadership. We must
speak out when any Member Democrat or Republican uses harmful tropes and stereotypes, levels
accusations of dual loyalty, or makes reckless statements like those yesterday. All Members of.
Congress should reject anti- Semitism, just as we reject all forms of hatred, bigotry, and intolerance,

and must denounce those who deny Israel?s right to exist, including terrorist groups like Hezbollah and
Hamas.

We also wish to set the record straight regarding our Party?s history of support for our ally Israel and
for a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian con?ict based on two states for two people. Israel is a

proud and stable democracy with robust protections for minorities, located 1n a region prone to
- authOritarianism and violent extremism. As early as 1944, the Democratic Party Platform included
language supporting? ?a free and democratic Jewish commonwealth? 1n the region, four years before
President Harry S. Truman recognized the establishment of the modern State of Israel. Since then,
Democratic Presidents and Members of Congress have been instrumental 1n supporting peace in the
region and Israel?s security. However, the ?Boycott, Divestment, and (BDS) movement
inherently denies the Jewish people?s 3, 000- -year?old connection to the land of Israel and seeks to
delegitimize Israel and deny its right. to exist as a Jewish state. Such positions are, at their core, anti-
Semitic.

We cannot remain silent in the face of hateful speech or'actions. We know what happens in our
communities when leaders 1gnore or embrace unacceptable rhetoric. That IS why we have an obligation

to speak out against anti- Semitism and to vigorously confront those who traf?c 1n these harmful tropes
and smears.

We hope that our Caucus will take swift action to address these issues in the coming days by
reiterating our rejection of anti~Semitism and our continued support for the State of Israel.

- Sincerely,
Josh Gottheimer - . Elaine Luria I I

I MEMBER OF CONGRESS . MEMBER OF CONGRESS