FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 2, 2018
Contact: Elana Kahn
414-403-3705
ElanaK@MilwaukeeJewish.org
STATEMENT ON CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE PAUL NEHLEN
Milwaukee, WI — The Jewish Community Relations Council of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and the League of Latin American Citizens-Wisconsin strongly denounce Congressional candidate Paul Nehlen’s bigoted messages. On Tuesday, Nehlen listed Twitter users who have attacked him in the last month for his “America First positions.” He noted that 74 of the 81 are Jews and included contact information, singling them out for harassing calls and messages.
Nehlen certainly understands the historical implications of creating and publishing lists of Jews. Only 70 years ago, the Nazi genocide of European Jews included such lists. Taken with his call to “decimate” Jewish members of the media; his use of Twitter “echoes,” parenthesis around people’s names to identify them as Jews; repeated tropes about Jews controlling the media; and repeated white nationalist posts, Nehlen has made clear that he is peddling in anti-Semitism and bigotry.
This week’s tweets are just the latest in a campaign defined by hateful statements against immigrants and all non-whites. Nehlen’s statements are absolutely unacceptable. We call on civic and political leaders and elected officials to reject and publicly denounce these hateful statements. History has shown us the danger of staying silent in the face of such hatred.
