Republican Jews congratulate Biden, call for peace following Capitol raid
"In these troubled times, we must come together so that this remarkable country will continue to thrive, in peace and security."
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFSupporters of US President Donald Trump climb a scaffolding in front of the US Capitol Building in Washington, US, January 6, 2021.(photo credit: REUTERS/LEAH MILLIS)
The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) congratulated President-elect Joe Biden on his election to become the 46th President of the United States, after Congress ratified the results and certified his victory on Thursday.Shaken elected officials formally stamped Biden's victory hours after hundreds of President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the US Capitol in a harrowing assault on American democracy.“After the abhorrent mob attack yesterday on our Capitol, our elected officials went back to work, fulfilled their duty under our Constitution, and certified the results of the 2020 election," the RJC said in a statement. "Now is the time for the same peaceful transition of power that the US has carried out for over 220 years. It is also time for healing and unity in our country, because we face many serious and significant challenges."The RJC noted that unity is needed now more than ever after the showing the United States gave the world on January 6, noting that "adversaries and competitors abroad will be watching the new administration closely.""It is vital that we come together as a nation and pursue policies that are consistent with our founding principles and that strengthen the uniquely successful federal republic that our founders built," the RJC said."In particular, we hope to work with the incoming Biden administration on issues such as the US-Israel relationship and preventing a nuclear Iran," it added, shifting the conversation to US-Israel relations. "Peace and stability in the Middle East can be achieved when America takes a leadership role, supports Israel, opens doors for cooperation between Israel and her neighbors, and – very importantly – acts prudently to restrain the hegemonic ambitions of the theocratic dictators in Iran."In these troubled times, we must come together so that this remarkable country will continue to thrive, in peace and security."While the mob came in full force, immediately afterward, the White House released a statement from Trump in which he pledged an "orderly transition" when Biden is sworn into office on January 20, although he repeated his false claim that he won the November election. Just the previous day, the Republican president had seemingly incited a mob to swarm the Capitol seeking to overturn the election result.The outcome of the certification proceedings was not in doubt, but was interrupted by rioters who forced their way past metal security barricades, broke windows and scaled walls to fight their way into the Capitol.Police said four people died during the chaos - one from gunshot wounds and three from medical emergencies - and 52 people were arrested.
Some besieged the House chamber while lawmakers were inside, banging on its doors. Security officers piled furniture against the chamber's door and drew their pistols before helping lawmakers and others escape.The assault on the Capitol was the culmination of months of divisive and escalating rhetoric around the November 3 election, with Trump repeatedly making false claims that the vote was rigged and urging his supporters to help him overturn his loss.Following Thursday's certification by Congress, Trump issued a statement via White House aide Dan Scavino, saying: "Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th."Zachary Keyser and Reuters contributed to this report.
