GOP presidential candidate and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie insisted Sunday that anti-Semitism in the United States is not on the rise, arguing that it has been there all along.
Christie, who appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” responded to the controversy surrounding X owner Elon Musk, the anti-Semitism espoused by TikTok and American college professors since Hamas terrorists launched their October 7 attack against civilians, killing about 1,200. One person and towed about 240 others. To Gaza as hostages.
“I think what we’re seeing in this country, Kristen, and with Iran, with the stunning revelations of anti-Semitism, I don’t want to say it’s a rise. I think it’s been there,” Christie told host Kristen Welker. “And I think what we’re seeing now, because of what’s happening in Israel right now, is that unmasking, and we’re seeing it all over campus.”
Champions of the democratic movement hope to reach a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas before Thanksgiving, but they strongly reject calls for a ceasefire.
Republican presidential candidate and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie speaks at the Hudson Institute on November 15, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Wayne McNamee/Getty Images)
“We’re seeing this on social media sites like X, TikTok and other social media sites. It’s horrific,” he said. “I think President, the United States must be much stronger than it has been in speaking out against anti-Semitism in this country. This is a heinous, heinous type of hatred that is being expressed. And we need to speak out against it regardless of who is doing it, whether Whether it’s Elon Musk, whether it’s the professors on our college campuses, whether it’s the students they’re misleading, whether it’s the individuals speaking out in an anti-Semitic manner on the streets of our cities. This is unacceptable. And the president has not been strong enough on this point and on this point.”
Musk was accused of endorsing a post on X in which another user appeared to espouse the anti-Semitic trope of claiming Jews hate white people.
Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie, led by IDF Spokesman Maj. Liad Diamond and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, was seen visiting Kibbutz Kfar Azza, which was attacked by Hamas on October 7 near the Gaza border. (Alexey J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
Musk later issued a clarification, claiming that he was only addressing left-wing organizations, not Jews in general, and said that anyone calling for the genocide of any group of people on X would be suspended from the platform.
Christie, the first Republican presidential candidate to visit Israel since the war began, called on the Israeli and American governments to work to reach an agreement to return the hostages to the homeland.
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“I will support a fair and just deal that brings these people home now,” Christie said.
Christie added: “I certainly believe that Israel abides by international law,” rejecting the allegations of the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner who accused Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza.
Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie on November 12, 2023 in Kfar Azza, Israel, is seen visiting the country following the October 7 attacks by Hamas. (Alexey J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
“Unlike a lot of other people who are voicing their opinions on this topic, I was there and I spoke to leaders in Israel, I spoke to the president of Israel. I spoke to members of the Israel Defense Forces. I was 600 yards from the Gaza border. “I went to every A place in Israel to see what’s going on. They are doing everything they can to avoid civilian casualties,” Christie told Welker.
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He said, “The problem is that Hamas forces these civilians to stay in places where Israel warns them not to drop thousands of leaflets, and sends hundreds of thousands of text messages to warn people of the areas before attacking them.” “It is Hamas that is doing this. And let us not forget, for those who are calling for a ceasefire, there was a ceasefire on October 6 and it was Hamas that violated the truce on October 7.”
