Jewish groups call for Bannon to be dumped

American Jewish groups have written to president-elect Donald Trump asking him to reconsider the appointment of Stephen Bannon as his chief strategist.

Mr Bannon has faced accusations of antisemitism after he was accused of telling his ex-wife in 2007 that he did not want his daughter "going to school with Jews".

During his tenure as head of Breitbart News, a radical-right, pro-Trump website, Mr Bannon published articles referring to conservative commentator Bill Kristol as a "renegade Jew" and Washington Post columnist Anne Applebaum as "a Polish, Jewish, American elitist".

The letter from US Jewish groups also urged Mr Trump to reject pledges on a ban on Muslim immigration, and to maintain the United States' commitment to a two-state solution.

It was signed by groups including J Street, the liberal pro-Israel lobby; the National Council of Jewish Women; T'ruah, the rabbinic human rights group, and Uri L'Tzedek, the Orthodox social justice organisation.

The letter also attacked "the many instances of antisemitism - both subtle and overt - that appeared around your presidential campaign".

However, Uriel Ariel, Israel's Minister for Agriculture, jumped to Mr Bannon's defence. In a letter to Mr Bannon, Mr Ariel said he wanted to express "support and thanks" for the media boss's friendship with Israel.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Greenblatt, the ADL's chief executive, said last week he would sign up to a register of Muslims if it were to be established by Mr Trump.

During his campaign, Mr Trump pledged he would make Muslims register on a database so their movements could be tracked.

On Sunday, hundreds gathered for an anti-hate rally at a vandalised Brooklyn park named after the late Beastie Boys singer Adam Yauch, who was Jewish.

A children's play area in Adam Yauch Park had been daubed with swastikas and the message "Go Trump".