Many advocacy groups have criticised US President Donald Trump for insulting Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer by calling him a “Palestinian”.
In an Oval Office discussion with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, Trump insulted Schumer’s political views.
“Schumer is a Palestinian to me. He’s Palestinianized. He was Jewish before. Not Jewish anymore. After ranting about US foreign policy, especially Israel and Gaza, Trump said, “He’s a Palestinian.”
CAIR called Trump’s comments insulting and beneath his office, while Muslim and Jewish groups have criticised him.
CAIR executive director Nihad Awad said using “Palestinian” as a slur perpetuates Palestinian dehumanisation and encourages hate crimes and political violence against Palestinian-Americans.
Jewish Democratic Council of America CEO Halie Soifer also slammed the remarks, saying Trump cannot decide who is Jewish. “Senator Schumer is the country’s highest-ranking Jewish American official, and ‘Palestinian’ should not be used as an insult,” argued.
Trump has labelled Schumer a “proud member of Hamas” and questioned why Jewish Americans support the Democratic Party despite growing antisemitism in his own circle.
This topic arises amid increased concerns over US political antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Palestinian sentiment and the Israel-Gaza conflict. Rights groups have accused Trump of using such problems for political gain, especially during his campaigns.
Human rights advocates have slammed Trump’s administration’s views on Palestinian rights and the Middle East conflict, even though he has not apologised.
In order to rehabilitate Gaza, the US president has urged ethnic cleansing by forcibly removing Palestinians.
The White House and Schumer did not address the latest dispute.
