Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) President Morton A. Klein released the following statement:
The ZOA recently documented Congressman Keith Ellison’s anti-Israel Congressional initiatives, tweets and statements; Ellison’s work to defeat a pro-Israel Democratic Congressman in a far-away district (something that Ellison may repeat throughout the country as Democratic National Committee Chair); Ellison’s efforts to insert anti-Israel planks into the Democratic national platform; and Ellison’s anti-Semitic and radical Islamist involvements – all of which disqualifies Ellison from being chosen as DNC Chair. (See “ZOA: Don’t Appoint Israel-Basher Cong. Keith Ellison Chair of the Democratic National Committee,” Nov. 18, 2016.)
Former ADL head Abe Foxman, liberal Democratic Harvard Professor Alan Dershowitz, Democratic NY State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, and prominent Muslim reformer Dr. Zhudi Jasser have now provided further cogent reasons why radical Muslim Congressman Keith Ellison (a/k/a Keith X. Ellison a/k/a Keith Hakim a/k/a Keith Ellison Muhammed; D-Minn) would be a dangerous and bad choice to lead the DNC.
Former ADL head Abraham Foxman declared regarding Ellison:
“It sends the wrong symbol for someone with those views to take a leadership role in the Democratic Party, especially since the party has been struggling with Israel. Israel has always been a bipartisan issue; this [making Ellison head of the DNC] makes it less of one.” (“Keith Ellison’s Ascent Signals the Democrats’ Willingness to Redefine ‘Pro-Israel’,” by Ron Kampeas, JTA, Nov. 22, 2016.)
Harvard Prof. Alan Dershowitz stated that Ellison’s “voting record is anti-Israel” and that Ellison’s selection “will push pro-Israel voters away from the Democrats.” (Jewish Week, Nov. 23, 2016.)
And prominent longtime Democratic New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind stated that Ellison’s candidacy is “enough to get me to say I don’t want to be a Democrat.” (Id.)
Dr. Zhudi Jasser’s gives further warnings about Cong. Ellison.
Muslim reformers are our greatest ally and hope for ending Islamist violence and extremism. Moral Courage award-winner Ayaan Hirsi Ali noted that Muslim reformers such as Dr. Zhudi Jasser – who challenge Islam from within, and seek reforms to Islamic doctrine to end interminable Islamist violence – “must be supported and protected.” (“The Islam Reformers vs. The Muslim Zealots,” by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Washington Post, Mar. 27, 2015. Also see “Egypt’s Muslim President Sisi Said Islam Needs “Religious Revolution”; Obama Says Nothing About This,” June 16, 2016.)
Dr. Jasser confirmed Ellison’s “alliances with hardcore American Islamist organizations like the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Muslim American Society (MAS), the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), and others.” (See “The DNC Will Be Betraying Reformist Muslims If They Pick Keith Ellison As Chairman,” by Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, Independent Journal Review, Nov. 24, 2016.)
Jasser continues, “Ellison has consistently attacked reformist Muslims – viciously and dishonestly. Unfortunately, the congressman’s behavior – including toward the very community he is purported to represent – makes him a poor choice to represent anyone, much less to chair a major political party.”
“Worse, [Ellison’s] allegiance to Islamist groups makes him a dangerous choice in elected office. By selecting Ellison, the DNC would be “embracing its inner radicalism.” Ellison’s history ranges from the radical extreme when he was spokesperson a for the virulently anti-Semitic radical head of the Nation of Islam, Louis Farrakhan to the more deceptively moderate yet radical Islamist sympathizer raising vast sums of monies for Islamist causes and investigated by the House Ethics Committee for traveling to Saudi Arabia on the dime of the Muslim American Society a group the Chicago Tribune dubbed as the American arm of the global Muslim Brotherhood.”
“Despite his moderate façade, Congressman Ellison is a close ally of Islamist CAIR and other American Islamist groups responsible for advancing a malignant agenda and marginalizing reformist Muslims focused on universal human rights, including gender equality and freedom of speech and conscience. While Democrats and progressives may think that their consideration of Ellison goes against the failures of the establishment, the truth is that they would be empowering an even more malignant domestic and global establishment – the Islamist establishment.”
“Ellison, a frequent speaker and fundraiser for organizations who advance real bigotry and prop the theocratic regimes of Saudi Arabia and Qatar and Iran, is as establishment as it gets in American Islamist circles…Congressman Ellison is their man on the Hill.”
“Congressman Ellison’s attacks on Muslims who defend universal human rights go back for at least a decade. He [Ellison] has repeatedly accused me in major media of fomenting anti-Muslim bigotry and demonizing my own faith of Islam, going so far as to call me an “Uncle Tom.” He has also demonized other Muslims who speak out against radicalism, including Somali-American leaders who have participated in public demonstrations and concrete efforts against the recruitment of their community’s youth by radical groups.”
“. . . . Much of [Ellison’s misbehavior, ill-treatment of other Muslims, and Islamist ties] is on record – including his assertions that I encourage non-Muslims to attack and “go after” Muslims – simply because I reject the “Islamic state” and seek reforms that will actually protect Muslims and non-Muslims and advance peace and universal human rights.”
“One need only conduct a cursory investigation of Congressman Ellison’s track record in order to determine that he is not the individual to bring the DNC out of its disastrous current situation. Rather, when the party finally realizes its terrible mistake, he will have already secured its further demise and radicalization.”
ZOA thus calls upon everyone who cares about bi-partisan support for Israel, and about combating anti-Semitism and radical Islam, to oppose making Rep. Keith Ellison chair of the DNC.