Jewish GOP group calls on Dem lawmakers to resign over Farrakhan remarks

The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) on Tuesday called on seven prominent lawmakers to resign, accusing them of having close ties to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who drew criticism recently after a speech full of anti-Semitic remarks. 

The lobbying group called on Reps. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Danny Davis (D-Ill.), Andre Carson (D-Ind.) Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) and Al Green (D-Texas) to step down. 

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“Anti-Semitism is unacceptable. Farrakhan is the moral equivalent of a leader of the KKK. If it was discovered that members of Congress had met with the leader of the KKK, they would need to resign. In this case, for meeting with, and embracing, Louis Farrakhan, nothing short of resignation is acceptable from these seven Democrats,” the group said in a statement on Tuesday. 

Farrakhan is facing criticism after he delivered a speech last week in which he referred to “powerful Jews” as his enemy, and said, “the Jews were responsible for all of this filth and degenerate behavior that Hollywood is putting out turning men into women and women into men.”

Davis, in an interview with The Daily Caller on Sunday, acknowledged his relationship with Farrakhan and said “the world is so much bigger than Farrakhan and the Jewish question.”

“I know Farrakhan, been knowing him for years and years and years and years and years, and every once in a while some writer or somebody will I guess try to think of something to say about Farrakhan, but nah, my world is so much bigger than any of that. I don’t have time for that. I deal with it, you know, when it comes but nah, that’s not a real part of my focus,” Davis told The Daily Caller.

Meeks condemned Farrakhan’s remarks in a tweet, calling them “upsetting & unacceptable.”

Farrakhan’s anti-Semitic messages are upsetting & unacceptable. I always condemn hate speech of any kind. Also upsetting that right-wing blogs suggest otherwise & try making this a black vs. Jewish community issue. Still waiting for those blogs to condemn Trump’s racist remarks.

— Gregory Meeks (@RepGregoryMeeks) March 8, 2018 

Hate is wrong and dangerous wherever it comes from. African-Americans, Jews, and far too many other groups have suffered greatly because of racism and hate in America — past and present. I will always fight to rid our nation and the world of hateful vitriol. We all should!

— Gregory Meeks (@RepGregoryMeeks) March 8, 2018

The Hill has reached out to the other lawmakers mentioned in the RJC statement for comment. 

Farrakhan has long been a controversial figure accused of spouting anti-Semitic and anti-white rhetoric.

His remarks on Sunday, which came at the Nation of Islam’s annual “Saviours’ Day” convention, drew condemnation from CNN’s Jake Tapper, who posted a string of tweets critical of his views.

Updated on Thursday at 12:57 p.m.