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VP Pence to CBN News: Congress Hasn't Done Enough to Confront Anti-Semitism

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JERUSALEM, Israel - Vice President Mike Pence sat down for an exclusive interview with CBN News Chief Political Analyst David Brody in Jerusalem on Thursday. Pence vowed that the US will keep standing with Israel and against the global rise in anti-Semitism, pointing out that the problem still exists even within the halls of Congress.  

David Brody: "We see in the present day this rise of anti-Semitism, not just in Europe but in America.  What do you attribute that to specifically? I'm curious about some of the folks that have spoken out for the BDS movement and we've heard some folks call Israel the oppressor here. What are some of your thoughts on that?"

Vice President Mike Pence:  "Well there is a rise in the tide of vile anti-Semitism. It's emerging all around the world.  We've seen it result in violence at synagogues in Pittsburgh, in Los Angeles, and loss of life but we've also seen it manifested in rhetoric, not only the BDS movement, attempting to get people to divest from Israel – thinly veiled anti-Semitism – but even in the halls of Congress. We've heard anti-Semitic rhetoric that has not been roundly and universally condemned, as it should be."

David Brody: "Referring to Ilhan Omar and Rashida Talib, people like that who have said certain things?"

Vice President Mike Pence:  "For people to traffic in anti-Semitic slurs and tropes and not be held to account for that, it's just not acceptable. But the good news is and you saw it here at the 75th anniversary of Auschwitz, the world is mobilizing, the American people are aware of it. You look at the recent elections in the United Kingdom and it was understood to be the liberal party's tolerance of latent anti-Semitism was seen as one of the reasons why they lost in a landslide in recent elections. I think the people understand the dangers based on the lessons of 75 years ago at even allowing anti-Semitic rhetoric, let alone violence to take place in our society but it requires a constant vigilance. You know when I was a member of Congress, the only Holocaust survivor to ever serve in Congress, the late Tom Lantos, came to my office, David, and asked me to co-found the Anti-Semitism Caucus. I was honored to do that. He wanted to co-found the caucus with an Evangelical Christian and conservative and I was humbled by that and the truth is a rejection of anti-Semitic rhetoric or worse should be universal in our society, in our public debate and we'll continue to demand that."

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James
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