Thousands Back Petition Against Trump Speech At Holocaust Museum
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(JTA) — Thousands of American Jews have signed a petition challenging the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s invitation to President Donald Trump to deliver the keynote remarks at the National Day of Remembrance.
Launched Monday by Bend the Arc, a Jewish group that advocates for social justice causes, the petition by the following morning had more than 7,400 signatures.
“President Trump’s administration has repeatedly insulted the memory of the Holocaust, and embraced the agenda and rhetoric of white nationalism and anti-Semitism. So how can the U.S. Holocaust Museum invite him to deliver the keynote remarks at the National Day of Remembrance?” the petition asks. “Jews across the country are outraged by this bizarre and unacceptable choice.
“While we recognize the longstanding tradition of American presidents giving remarks at this ceremony, this is not a normal president and this is not a normal moment. It is an insult to the memories of survivors, descendants, and allies that he would speak on this sacred day.”
The remarks to be delivered Tuesday in the U.S. Capitol rotunda are among the events for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s annual Days of Remembrance.
Every president since the museum opened in 1993 has participated.
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