GOP rips Dem silence on anti-Semitism in Wall Street protests

The Republican National Committee is calling out Democratic leaders for ignoring episodes of anti-Semitism in the Occupy Wall Street protests.

The GOP argues the Democrats are holding a double standard by ripping the Tea Party for incidents of racism in the movement while letting slide anti-Semitic comments by demonstrators protesting corporate greed.

“Democratic leaders have spent the last week championing the ‘Occupy Wall Street’ movement,” read a statement from RNC Communications Director Sean Spicer. “Yet in the midst of protestors’ extreme anti-Semitic, anti-Israel comments, they’ve been silent."

Spicer criticized President Obama, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.

“Where’s the outrage?” he asked. “While protestors are seen spewing hate against Jewish Americans, President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz have declared their support for the demonstrations. Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Steve Israel even circulated a petition saying he’s ‘standing with’ Occupy Wall Street.”

Spicer’s memo included links to videos on YouTube that showed a few protestors making anti-Semitic statements.

“I think that the Zionist Jews who are running these big banks and our federal reserve, which is not run by the federal government, I think they need to be run out of this country,” said one protester, who identified herself as an employee of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

“You’re a bum, Jew!” another protester yelled at an Israeli man.

During the rise of the Tea Party in 2009, some on the right were upset with media and political focus on similar instances of isolated extremism, and the attempt by some to paint the entire movement as racist.

“Democrats were quick to single out any instances of perceived extremism among Tea Party supporters, but with Occupy Wall Street, they turn a blind eye,” Spicer continued. “President Obama claimed last weekend that Martin Luther King would support the demonstrations. But surely Dr. King would have called out these ugly displays of bigotry.”

Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said, "Anti-Semitism and hate speech have absolutely no place in our country and must be condemned wherever they occur. Fanning the flames of hate will not advance the creation of jobs in America."

This article was updated at Oct. 20 at 6:45 p.m.

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