WASHINGTON: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday condemned the rise of anti-Semitism as a"cancer metastasising" in the Middle East, Europe and in the United States, where he said the Trump administration would vigorously oppose it.
Speaking to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference, Pompeo said anti-Zionism - opposition to the existence of Israel as a homeland for the Jewish people - was a form of anti-Semitism that was on the rise. Earlier on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump recognised Israel's 1981 annexation of the Golan Heights in a boost for Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu, who faces an election on Apr 9.Some political analysts say that Republicans hope support for Israel will attract Jewish voters and note Republicans in Congress were outspoken in condemning comments by Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar that some viewed as anti-Semitic.
After a counter-protester was killed in 2017 at a white supremacist rally in Virginia where demonstrators chanted"Jews will not replace us," Trump said there was blame on"both sides."