The Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition issued the following statement in response to the recent Facebook post of Philadelphia NAACP president Rodney Muhammad:
Rodney Muhammad’s statement, cloaked with the authority of the NAACP-- an organization with a storied legacy and laudable goals—reflects a shocking ignorance of the history of anti-Semitism and the centuries-old portrayal of Jews as subhuman demons controlling the world. His misplaced effort to defend individuals who have quoted or misquoted Adolf Hitler and spread other anti-Semitic memes is a poor excuse for such vicious imagery and is antithetical to the values-driven organization which he purports to lead. At a time when white supremacists and hatemongers target both of our communities, we call on the NAACP to continue its historic alliance with the Jewish community rather than playing into the hands of those who seek to divide us. The Black and Jewish communities have partnered for decades in efforts to combat racist hatred. We are truly saddened by such a prominent leader’s rejection of this alliance and inexcusable failure to recognize his own role in perpetuating racist stereotypes. May the future be one of healing and enlightenment for all of us, rather than division and acrimony.