NEW YORK – Jewish groups expressed concern over the potential effects of statements made by President Donald Trump regarding the violence in Charlottesville, which have been interpreted by many as creating a “moral equivalency” between white supremacist groups and the counter-protesters with whom they violently clashed over the past weekend.
After the president faced wide criticism for failing to condemn the extremist groups who organized the protest, he then issued a strong statement calling out white supremacists. But a day later at an impromptu press conference, he said that fault lay on “both sides.”
Moreover, the size and attention that the event, which put Nazi symbols and ideology on display, drew and especially its violent ending, was seen as a cause for alarm by leaders of several Jewish organizations.