Biden criticized by Jewish community for meeting with Farrakhan supporter
The Democratic presidential nominee met Jacob Blake Sr., who is the father of a black man who was shot by police, and whose antisemitic posts have emerged.
By DONNA RACHEL EDMUNDSDemocratic U.S. presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks to residents during a community meeting at Grace Lutheran Church after a week of unrest in the aftermath of the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by a white police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S., September 3, 20(photo credit: KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS)
A meeting between Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and the father of a black man who was shot by Wisconsin police has sparked a renewed debate over antisemitism within the African-American community, after it emerged that the father had expressed support for antisemitic figures.29-yr-old Jacob Blake Jr. was shot seven times by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, as they attempted to arrest him and was severely injured, sparking a week of protests and rioting in the city. In the aftermath, US President Donald Trump visited the town, while his rival for the White House Joe Biden met with Blake's father, Jacob Blake Sr.The Biden campaign said the meeting was designed "to bring together Americans to heal and address the challenges we face," according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.However, it has since emerged that in 2018 and 2019, Blake Sr. made a number of antisemitic and anti-white posts on social media.On August 23, he took to Facebook to post a picture of himself, and the message "my son is alive and stable," in reference to the shooting. But earlier posts on the same account included racist slurs. In November 2017 he posted: “The same pink toe Jewish people that control the interest rate they control Minds and money.”Other posts made between 2017 and 2019 included the phrases: “A jew can’t tell me sh*t period,” “The Jewish media picks and chooses who is a terrorist and [who] is not,” “A cracker jew can do whatever to a white woman for years but let a jig try it,” and “One day pink toes will burn frfr,” which stands for “for real for real,” according to The Washington Times.He also posted "I’m with Farrakhan,” a reference to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who has a history of making antisemitic comments, and said that the victims of the October 2018 Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh were warned ahead of time.Biden has been sharply criticized for meeting with Blake, and accused of putting Black lives ahead of Jewish lives.It is hypocrisy, it's a double standard and people need to recognize that. It is just beyond comprehension," Former New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, a Democrat and leader within Brooklyn's Jewish community told Fox News. "How in God's name does the former vice president go and meet with this individual and praise this individual?"Hikind called upon his fellow Democrats to "wake up," accusing the party of "endangering" America.
"People are afraid and people in my community asked me, is there a future in America?" he asked. "This is what – this is where we are today. Is there a future in America?"This the greatest country in the world," he said. "We are not perfect, no one is perfect and no country is perfect. But this is the greatest country in the world."
