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Jewish Groups Denounce Trump’s Call to Bar Muslims Entering the U.S.

Jewish groups and elected officials across the aisle strongly denounced Donald Trump’s announcement on Monday that the U.S. should ban the entry of Muslims to the United States in the wake of the San Bernardino terror attack

In a statement on Monday, the Republican presidential frontrunner called for “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.” Trump stated, “Without looking at the various polling data, it is obvious to anybody the hatred is beyond comprehension. Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life.”

Trump’s comments were immediately condemned by the Anti-Defamation League, who compared the ban to the persecution of the Jewish people in the 1930’s.

“Mr. Trump’s plan to bar people from entry to the United States based on their religion is unacceptable and antithetical to American values,” Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO, said in a statement. “A plan that singles out Muslims and denies them entry to the U.S. based on their religion is deeply offensive and runs contrary to our nation’s deepest values.”

“In the Jewish community, we know all too well what can happen when a particular religious group is singled out for stereotyping and scapegoating,” he added.

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio echoed the same concern in a statement released after Trump’s comments. “If I said let’s have a total, complete shutdown on Christians entering the United States or Jews entering the United States – it’s against everything this country is based on. It’s as simple as that,” the mayor of New York City said. “How could the frontrunner for a major party nomination literally be suggesting a religious test on who gets to come into the country? That is a dangerous, dangerous statement. That’s why he must be confronted.”

The National Jewish Democratic Council called on leading Republicans, especially Jewish Republicans, to “strongly speak out against the bigotry coming from its leading candidate.”

“As a religious minority that has been persecuted throughout our history, including in the United States, Jewish Americans know just how dangerous religious discrimination can be,” the Jewish Democratic group said in a statement. “No single religion is our enemy — terrorists and all those who seek to destroy us are our enemies. The fact that Trump clearly does not understand that shows how profoundly unqualified he is to be the president of the United States. This has got to stop.”

Trump doubled down on his call during a campaign rally Monday night, as well as in a round of TV interviews Tuesday morning.

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