Al Williams, a candidate to chair the Democratic Party in Michigan, drew a reproach from a pro-Israel Democrat group for stating at a Feb. 4 online meet-and-greet that “this is not the Jewish party. This is the Democratic Party.”
“There are more voices than just Zionists in this party,” Williams added. “There are more voices than just Jewish Americans within this party. There are more voices than just those anti-Arab American voices within this party.”
Williams also accused the Jewish state of “genocide” and said that there should be an arms embargo against Israel.
Mark Mellman, president and CEO of Democratic Majority for Israel, stated on Wednesday that the candidate’s comments “are deeply offensive and should be disqualifying.”
“Good Democrats don’t traffic in antisemitic stereotypes about Jewish loyalty or falsely portray Jewish Americans as ‘anti-Arab American.’ Williams’ effort to deny Jewish Americans a home in our party should be definitively rejected by all Democrats and all Americans,” he said.
“The Democratic Party has and must continue to be a home for all Americans,” he added, “including those with a diversity of religious and ethnic backgrounds. The path to electoral victory is through unity, not the division and exclusion Mr. Williams promotes.”
Mellman urged Williams “to immediately withdraw from the race for chair, apologize for his indefensible remarks and seek out meaningful conversations with the Jewish community to understand why his comments are so wrong and so harmful.”
