Presidential candidate Nikki Haley has lashed out at President Biden and accused him of enabling antisemitism in America. Haley vowed to be the President who stops anti-Jewish hatred in its tracks and insists that anti-Zionism is the same as antisemitism. “You can’t fight antisemitism if you can’t define it. Joe Biden and the Left refuse to call anti-Zionism antisemitism,” she told the New York Post.
The GOP contender said that if she becomes President, she will change the official federal definition of antisemitism to include that which opposes the existence of the state of Israel, and she will remove tax-exempt status from schools that do not “combat antisemitism in all of its forms.”
Earlier this year, the White House published its strategy to counter antisemitism in the United States but was criticized by Jewish groups for failing to adopt the definition of antisemitism agreed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Association (IHRA).
The Zionist Organization of America agreed with Nikki Haley and said recognition of the right of Jews to a home state is essential in combating antisemitism. “For many, if not most Jews, their connection to their religious and ancestral homeland is an essential part of their Jewish identity,” the organization stated.
Nikki Haley has taken a robust approach to the growing antisemitism on US campuses in the wake of the terror attacks against Israel on October 7. She accuses President Biden of agreement with the radical left on the issue and “siding with Israel’s enemies,” which she labeled “shameful.”
Political analysts have described Haley’s approach as a significant boost to her campaign. Republican strategist Mike Murphy said, “She’s breaking through at the right moment.” New Hampshire Governor Judd Gregg agrees and has called on Republicans to get behind her. “Our party needs someone who can win and lead, and Nikki Haley is that person,” he said.
In some recent polls, Haley has either drawn level with or overtaken Ron DeSantis for second place behind Donald Trump.
