The heartfelt Hanukkah greetings sent by Donald Trump and family to the Jewish people stood in stark contrast to the terse tweet sent out from President Biden. Even more concerning was the response from the White House Press Secretary to a question about Hanukkah cancellations due to antisemitism. She assured the media that the White House was indeed concerned about…anti-Islamic hatred.
Former President Donald Trump released a video wishing the Jewish people a “happy Hanukkah.”
“I want to wish everyone a very happy Hanukkah,’ Trump said. “The miracle of Hanukkah began more than 2000 years ago when a proud band of Jewish patriots courageously stood up and reclaimed their freedom, their faith and their traditions from an oppressive tyrant. After that great victory the Jewish heroes prepared to rededicate the holy temple but found only enough oil to light the lamp for one night. Yet by the grace of the Almighty, the flames radiated for eight days and eight nights, ever since then the menorah has been a symbol of Jewish perseverance in the face of oppression, and of God’s hope, mercy and love in times of hardship, this Hanukkah season, Jewish Americans and people all over the world are still reeling from the monstrous Hamas terror attacks on innocent men, women and children. To everyone touched by these barbaric atrocities we pray that God will bring you healing comfort and peace. We recommit ourselves to extinguishing the evil of antiSemitism from the earth. We reaffirm the everlasting solidarity with the Jewish people, and we go forward confident with God’s help. In the end, light will overcome this horrible darkness once again. Happy Hanukkah and God bless you all.”
Trump’s video message was bolstered by a tweet from his Jewish daughter Ivanka Kushner:
“This Hanukkah, as we light the menorah, let us reflect on the deeper meaning of this Festival of Lights. It’s a time to celebrate resilience and faith, to spread joy and warmth in our communities and to bring light to the world even in the darkest of times.
May our small lights join together this holiday season to brighten the world, reminding us that even the smallest spark can dispel great darkness.”
The Kusher family also posted a family portrait in their Miami home to Instagram to commemorate the holiday.
This contrasted sharply with the holiday greeting sent out from Joe Biden, who posted a short tweet with a Menorah surrounded by Christmas decorations.
The traditional White House Hanukkah party is scheduled for Monday evening though many public displays and celebrations of the Jewish holiday have been canceled due to a wave of antisemitism. When asked about the Hanukkah cancellations, White House spokesperson Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre assured the media that the White was “taking every action” to assure the safety of Muslim communities.
“We have seen an uptick in hate, just more broadly, in different communities—obviously, also in the Muslim community,” Jean Pierre said. “And so, we will do everything that we can to make sure that these communities feel safe.”
