Vice President JD Vance created a furor last week when, in his 140-word statement commemorating the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, he mourned “millions of lives lost” and “unspeakable” acts and praised “bravery” and “heroism.” But never mentioned the words, “Jews” or “Nazis.”
It is hard to imagine anyone discussing the slaughter of six million Jews at the hands of the Nazis without identifying the victims and the perpetrators. So, logically, someone who does something so counter-intuitive must have been intent on denigrating Jews. And the reaction was, indeed, fast and furious with past allegations of Vance having a Jewish problem dredged up by a number of commentators.
Critics, including some conservative voices, argued that Vance has not done enough to distance himself or the MAGA movement from openly antisemitic figures like Nick Fuentes.
Other commentators have accused Vance of “fence sitting” on issues related to antisemitism, suggesting he is trying to navigate the political right, particularly with his relationship to figures like Tucker Carlson, who have been accused of harboring anti-Jewish sentiment.
Some have said Vance’s version of “America First” foreign policy has led to concerns about his support for Israel. In fact, he has been criticized for opposing aid packages to Israel.
And last month, Vance rejected the notion that antisemitism is growing within the Republican Party, arguing that the focus should be on broader issues and not on “internal fighting.” Thus, as reported by the Washington Jewish Week, Vance has dismissed concerns regarding antisemitic rhetoric in GOP youth circles as mere “pearl-clutching.”
Further, following an ambiguous comment regarding the conflict in the Middle East, questions have been raised about whether Vance represents a dangerous pivot away from the traditional, staunchly pro-Israel stance of American conservatism.
Yet JD Vance is not a Holocaust denier. He has never questioned the historical fact that six million Jews were murdered.
In addition, we are currently witnessing a surge of actual violent antisemitism in this country – not from the right, but from the left. Jewish students are being harassed on Ivy League campuses. “Zionists” are being banned from literary spaces, and pro-Hamas mobs are shutting down bridges. And he has been a bulldog on these issues.
He has led the charge to strip federal funding from universities that tolerate Jew-hatred. He has been unwavering in his support for Israel’s war with Hamas. Vance was also reportedly in the Situation Room advocating for the resupply of the Iron Dome.
But none of this speaks to whether he is part of the “America First” movement that believes that no country, including Israel, should enjoy the preferred position vis-à-vis the United States that Israel has for decades. And that is something that needs to be of concern and fully explored.