Republican National Committee to vote on antisemitism 'infiltrating' the party

Members of the Republican National Committee are on Friday set to vote on a resolution condemning antisemites “infiltrating” their party.

The resolution specifically names Kanye West and 24-year-old alt-right white supremacist Nick Fuentes, who has repeatedly questioned and disputed the number of Jews killed in the Holocaust, as well as other conservative figures.

The resolution was drafted by California’s national committeeman Shawn Steel and also condemns politicians across the aisle, Democratic Congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib for becoming “centers of a new wave of antisemitism.”

The resolution reads: “The scourge of antisemitism, anti-Israel hatred, Holocaust-denial, and bigotry against the Jewish people is growing, represents a direct threat to all people, and is antithetical to our American principles, the US constitution, and the platform of the Republican Party,”

On the troubled hip-hop artist Kanye West, the resolution says he has “repeatedly made statements that are antisemitic, shameful, wrong, offensive, bigoted, and contrary to American and Republican principles,”

Mr West has since October repeatedly made flagrantly antisemitic tirades and remarks on social media, during interviews, and on multiple podcasts.

Mr Fuentes on the other hand, who is associated with Mr West’s 2024 Presidential campaign, was recently reinstated on Twitter on Tuesday before being removed from the platform on Wednesday.

During his one-day return to the platform, Mr Fuentes posted a video depicting a reference to Mr West’s “Defcon 3” Tweet, as well as other antisemitic content.

Mr Steel, former California Republican Party Chairman, told the Algemeiner that the resolution has received more than 50 co-signers, which will ensure the resolution is voted upon.

Mr Steel also expects Friday’s vote to adopt the resolution to pass unanimously in the 168-member body, after it proceeds through the RNC Rules Committee on Thursday with no amendments.

If adopted, the resolution would “formally condemn, denounce, censure, and oppose all forms of bigotry, racism, ethnic prejudice, religious intolerance, antisemitism, antisemitic statements, and any antisemitic elements that seek to infiltrate the Republican Party.”

Though former President Donald Trump is not named in the resolution, his November Mar-a-lago dinner with Mr West and Mr Fuentes was widely denounced at the time as it was perceived to condone mainstream antisemitism.

The dinner was condemned by the Republican Jewish Coalition, a rare intervention by the body. Mr Trump maintains that he did not know Mr Fuentes would join the dinner.

The RNC resolution also names left-wing politicians who have regularly made highly critical remarks of Israel, notably members of “the squad”, in Cori Bush of Missouri, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.

On Twitter, Rep Tlaib on Wednesday repeated her claim that Israel is an apartheid state.

She said: “Palestinians may be banned from flying their flag under an apartheid government, but we can still proudly do it at my office.”

Palestinians may be banned from flying their flag under an apartheid government, but we can still proudly do it at my office. I’m proud to be a Palestinian American and I want the Palestinian people to know that not all Americans support apartheid. No one can erase our existence. pic.twitter.com/vuW5ciLo1k
— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) January 25, 2023

Representative Dafna Michaelson Jenet, Democratic member of the Colorado House of Representatives, told the JC that while she appreciates the sentiment, she wishes "more would stand up against antisemitism."

She also said that she would "absolutely like to see a similar statement on the left,"

On whether the Republican-led effort goes far enough, Rep Michaelson Jenet said: "At this point I think any action to fight antisemitism is needed and welcomed. Can we do more, yes. Should we do more, yes. I am, however, happy to see a start."

The resolution concludes that no space exists in the RNC and American politics for antisemitism.

The text reads: “The Republican National Committee formally condemns, denounces, censures and opposes Kanye West, also known as Ye, Milo Yiannopoulos, Nicholas “Nick” Fuentes, Congresswomen Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Cori Bush and all others promoting their antisemitic beliefs.”