Dozens Of Rabbis To Boycott Donald Trump Speech To Pro-Israel Group
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Dozens of rabbis are planning to boycott a scheduled speech by Donald Trump to the nation's largest pro-Israeli lobbying group to protest what they feel is divisive rhetoric by the Republican presidential front-runner.
The move also underscores some Jewish leaders' anxiety about Trump's views toward Israel.
The rabbis plan to hand out fliers at next week's gathering of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in Washington, calling for attendees to either skip Trump's speech on Monday or stand up as the candidate starts speaking and silently walk out.
Trump has also left some Jewish leaders uneasy with his pledge to stay neutral during peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
A Trump spokeswoman said in a statement to The Washington Post that Trump "has a long history of being a strong supporter of Israel" and has "made significant contributions to a variety of Jewish related causes over the years."
Jeffrey Salkin, one of the rabbis who is helping to organize the boycott, told The Post that he and other Jewish leaders were alarmed about Trump's rhetoric, adding, "Jewish history teaches that when hatred is unleashed, it takes on a life of its own."
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