Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and the White House hit Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) over a social media post that appeared critical of Zionism, denouncing it as antisemitic.
On Tuesday, Massie posted a meme on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, poking fun at Congress’s attitudes toward American patriotism and Zionism. The meme, labeling the rapper Drake as “Congress these days,” has him rejecting “American Patriotism” in favor of “Zionism.” Schumer and the White House interpreted the meme as antisemitic.
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“Rep. Massie, you’re a sitting Member of Congress,” Schumer wrote in a post on X. “This is antisemitic, disgusting, dangerous, and exactly the type of thing I was talking about in my Senate address. Take this down.”
Rep. Massie, you’re a sitting Member of Congress.
This is antisemitic, disgusting, dangerous, and exactly the type of thing I was talking about in my Senate address.
Take this down. https://t.co/jVX0NMdISI
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) December 5, 2023
“All Americans – including @HouseGOP leadership – should condemn this virulent Antisemitism from a sitting member of Congress,” White House deputy communications director Herbie Ziskend said.
Massie stood firm, however, responding to Schumer’s criticism by saying, “If only you cared half as much about our border as you do my tweets.”
Matt Brooks, CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition, also issued a harsh denouncement of the post.
“Let me be crystal clear on this. This post is [antisemitic]. Plain and simple. Shame on you @RepThomasMassie,” he said. “You’re a disgrace to the US Congress and to the Republican Party.”
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Zionism refers to the political movement, originating in the 19th century, advocating a homeland for the Jewish people. Several areas, including Madagascar, were considered until the decision was made to establish a Jewish state in Israel. The British gave the movement a major boost in 1917 when Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour issued the Balfour Declaration, pledging to support a Jewish homeland in what was then Palestine, a small region in the Ottoman Empire. Following the Holocaust, the movement received a major boost from the Soviet Union and the United States, resulting in the modern state of Israel being established in 1948.
Jewish leaders are divided on whether anti-Zionism constitutes antisemitism, though many in Congress have repeatedly linked the two, especially after Hamas’s deadly Oct. 7 surprise attack against Israel.
