By Kanishka Singh and Andrea Shalal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Muslim and Jewish advocacy groups criticized President Donald Trump on Wednesday for referring to the top Senate Democrat, Senator Chuck Schumer, as a Palestinian, with the organizations saying the president used the term as a slur.
Trump, a Republican, was asked by reporters at the White House about U.S. corporate tax rate policy during an Oval Office meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, and in response expressed displeasure with congressional Democrats not supporting his agenda.
“Schumer is a Palestinian as far as I’m concerned. He’s become a Palestinian. He used to be Jewish. He’s not Jewish anymore. He’s a Palestinian,” Trump said.
Schumer is the highest-ranking elected U.S. Jewish official and is not of Palestinian heritage.
“President Trump’s use of the term ‘Palestinian’ as a racial slur is offensive and beneath the dignity of his office,” said Nihad Awad, national executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations.
Awad, who is of Palestinian heritage, said Trump’s comments showed the “continuing dehumanization” of Palestinians.
Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, also condemned Trump’s remarks, as did Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America.
Trump faced criticism from rights groups during last year’s election campaign in which he referred to former President Joe Biden as Palestinian during a presidential debate. He also said last year that Jews who did not vote for him needed to “have your head examined.”
Trump has previously denied allegations of being discriminatory. The White House and Schumer had no immediate comment.
Rights advocates have noted a rise in Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian bias and antisemitism since the start of the Israel-Gaza war.
More recently, Trump has faced criticism for his plan for a U.S. takeover of Gaza and to displace Palestinians from the enclave. His plan has been called a proposal of ethnic cleansing by rights groups, Arab states, Palestinians and the U.N.
The Trump administration is also seeking to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate student who has played a prominent role in pro-Palestinian protests at New York’s Columbia University.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Andrea Shalal in Washington; Editing by Nia Williams)
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