Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff told elites at the World Economic Forum (WEF) about the painful experiences American Jews have dealt with in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre in Israel.
During a panel discussion at the WEF 2024 Annual Meeting in Davos this week – which included Anti-Defamation League President Jonathan Greenblatt – Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, mentioned the "aloneness" that Jewish people in America have woken up to following Hamas’ attack.
After noting that nothing is as sorrowful as what the victims of the brutal attack have endured, Emhoff said how difficult it has been for his community to see people take stances against Jews and Israel.
"Again, we’re not in Israel… so we can’t even imagine what that is like, but American Jews – I think the feeling is one of aloneness and being hated and being unmoored," he said.
Since the Oct. 7 killings by Hamas, emboldened pro-Palestinian supporters have flooded public spaces, Ivy League campuses, and taken to social media to denounce Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and its military campaign in Gaza.
Some of these demonstrations and proclamations have devolved into antisemitism and threats of violence against the Jewish people, shocking prominent Jews throughout the country.
Talking about this shock, Emhoff, continued, "And all these things that we had maybe fooled ourselves into thinking – that this wasn’t so bad, that we’re not really experiencing antisemitism, it’s never going to be this horrible – it happened."
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He mentioned how recent events showed just how polarized people were on Israel and the Jewish community, adding, "'We kinda saw who our friends were and who our friends weren't, and there were too many in the weren’t category – some who we thought were friends and – just shocking."
Since the Oct. 7 attack, famous pro-Israel figures have asked why there is so much silence in American communities when it comes to defending Jewish people and Israel.
Emhoff, who uses his platform to speak out against antisemitism, added he’s spoken to "so many groups" that tell him, "I feel alone and hated and I’ve never ever felt this way, and I hate feeling this way. How can we not feel this way?"
Pointing to the rest of the panel, he offered a solution, stating, "To all of our points, well, we’ve gotta fight back – all the things we’ve been talking about – but it’s the last point you made, it’s the coalition building."
