Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT) said a fellow House Democrat dismissed concerns about antisemitism by claiming it is no longer a problem because “all the Jews are rich.”
Speaking to CNN, Balint said the unnamed lawmaker made the remark during a bipartisan House antisemitism task force meeting. She recalled the incident after watching footage of California state Sen. Scott Wiener being forced out of a transgender rights event by protesters angry over his support for Israel, saying it reminded her of other examples of antisemitism she has encountered.
Balint said the moment felt familiar. She compared it to people who dismiss homophobia before questioning her identity as a lesbian, people who accuse Jewish politicians of having dual loyalty, and the unnamed Democrat colleague who allegedly remarked, “I didn’t really think there was any antisemitism anymore, because all the Jews are rich.”
Balint also said she fears some of her own supporters will eventually turn against her because she continues to support Israel’s right to exist alongside a Palestinian state.
“I know at some point there will be a day of reckoning, because I still believe that Jews should have a homeland,” Balint told CNN. “There will be people, I think some of my own supporters, who will turn on me, because I still believe in a two-state solution. I still do. I still believe that Israel should be safe and secure. I believe that the Palestinians have been so ill-treated for so long and deserve a safe and secure homeland. I do not believe Israel should be dismantled.”