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WASHINGTON (JTA) — Greater than a dozen Jewish members of Congress gathered on Friday for the primary assembly of the U.S. Home of Representatives Jewish Caucus.
However following the assembly within the Cannon Workplace Constructing, convened by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, an influential Jewish Democrat from Florida, it stays unclear what the caucus will stand for because the chamber’s Jews are deeply divided over the Israel-Hamas warfare and different points. Wasserman Schultz urged the caucus was nonetheless discovering its ft.
“We had a very-well attended, constructive assembly centered on how we will work collectively and develop our broader mission,” she mentioned in an electronic mail. “We did loads of listening and contemplating each other’s opinions and ideas. We left wanting ahead to persevering with to have interaction in these discussions with our colleagues in order that we will come collectively in consensus on how a secular Jewish Caucus may be simplest.”
The Home has 26 Jewish lawmakers, all however two of them Democrats, and it’s unclear which attended the assembly and whether or not both of the Republicans made it — particularly as a result of six congresspeople who RSVPed canceled on the final minute on account of sickness or sudden conflicts. Ohio Republican Max Miller had mentioned he would attend, however he didn’t verify whether or not he was there. Nor did Tennessee Republican David Kustoff.
Wasserman Schultz is alarmed on the spike in antisemitic assaults and rhetoric in america since Hamas terrorists massacred 1,200 individuals in Israel on Oct. 7, launching the present warfare in Israel and Gaza. She desires to formalize a united entrance amongst Jews in Congress to confront the hatred.
For many years, Jewish members of Congress had been gathering unofficially. Earlier this month, Axios reported that Wasserman Schultz acquired the go-ahead from Home directors to make the Jewish Caucus official — although it seems that not all Jews within the Home imagine the caucus ought to exist.
For the final decade, the unofficial gatherings had been helmed by Rep. Jerry Nadler, a New York Democrat who’s the longest-serving Jew in Congress. He advised Axios that he would attend Friday’s assembly, however was involved that the organizers — i.e., Wasserman Schultz — didn’t seek the advice of with all of the Jews within the chamber earlier than creating the caucus.
“Within the rush to kind this new group, against this, most Jewish members had been unnoticed of the dialogue altogether,” he mentioned. He additionally mentioned the damage emotions can be a distraction because the caucus seeks unanimity on the Israel-Hamas warfare.
There are at present official Black, Hispanic and Asian-Pacific caucuses within the Home, and there are formal Jewish caucuses in state governments; one of the vital lively is in California. However one difficulty which will have prevented the formation of a Home Jewish Caucus till now could be the age-old query of what “Jewish” means.
A priority reported by Axios — which has lengthy been mentioned amongst Jews within the U.S. Capitol — is that some Jewish lawmakers concern setting the precedent of building an explicitly non secular caucus — particularly as a result of Jews are likely to cherish the separation of church and state. That could be why Wasserman Schultz’s assertion included the phrase “secular” proper earlier than “Jewish Caucus.”
One other concern is that the extensive variations amongst members of a Jewish Caucus would undermine its purported objective: Jewish unity.
In late October, Nadler wrangled all 24 Jewish Democrats into signing a press release backing the Biden administration’s strong assist for Israel in its warfare in opposition to Hamas. Inside weeks, that united entrance was crumbling, as numerous Jewish Democrats joined requires a ceasefire.
Past variations concerning the warfare, there are huge variations amongst Jews in Congress over, nicely, every little thing. Wasserman Schultz sought, and acquired, Miller’s membership within the caucus, making it the one one of many ethnic caucuses to have bipartisan membership. However Miller is among the many most enthusiastic endorsers of former President Donald Trump, whereas the caucus additionally contains Nadler and Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Dan Goldman of New York and Adam Schiff of California — all of whom performed main roles in a single or each impeachments of Trump. Schiff and Trump routinely specific the hope that the opposite is jailed.
Some members, equivalent to Florida Democrat Jared Moskowitz (who hoped to attend however was unable to), see Jews as an ethnic minority topic to persecution.
“At a time when there’s individuals marching by means of the streets with indicators calling to ‘Gasoline the Jews,’ it’s completely essential that Jewish members kind a united entrance in opposition to antisemitism and for the protection and safety of the Jewish individuals,” Moskowitz advised the Jewish Telegraphic Company.
The sensitivity of the get-together made even essentially the most voluble of lawmakers clam up about it. Quite a few spokesmen promised to get again to the Jewish Telegraphic Company about whether or not their bosses had been in attendance however by no means did. A spokeswoman for Vermont’s Becca Balint, a Democrat who joined Congress earlier this yr, merely mentioned that she was not in attendance.
Kathy Manning, a North Carolina Democrat, attended the assembly and mentioned it centered on the necessity to confront antisemitism.
“I’m happy to affix within the founding of the Congressional Jewish Caucus,” she mentioned. “Throughout this time of rising antisemitism, it’s crucial that the Jewish group have its distinctive expertise and perspective represented on the management desk in Congress.”
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