Israeli anti-judicial reform protesters block the Ayalon highway in Israel, June 3, 2023. (Matan Golan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

This article originally appeared on Haaretz, and was reprinted here with permission. Sign up here to get Haaretz’s free Daily Brief newsletter delivered to your inbox.

American Jewish leaders on Sunday quickly condemned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for equating the pro-democracy protesters awaiting him in the U.S. with the PLO and Iran, demanding he apologize while warning his meeting with Elon Musk sends a dangerous message about the spread and normalization of antisemitism.

“This is a common authoritarian tool, to distract and deflect from legitimate concerns of peaceful protesters and paint them as enemies of the state. And it’s all the more dangerous when Bibi himself is meeting with Musk, who has done more to normalize antisemitism than almost anyone,” said Jewish Council for Public Affairs CEO Amy Spitalnick.

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“As Rosh Hashanah ends, it’s heartbreaking to watch Netanyahu smear peaceful protesters and decline to meet with local Jewish leadership, while embracing Musk. This is our fight too as American Jews. I hope we’ll all join the Israelis fighting for democracy and make that clear,” she added.

Just hours before their meeting, Musk accused Jewish billionaire George Soros of “appearing to want nothing less than the destruction of Western civilization” – alluding to the antisemitic trope which alleges immigration is meant to dilute the white population in order to recreate society.

This conspiracy was cited by assailants behind significant white nationalist attacks in Charlottesville, Pittsburgh, El Paso and Buffalo. Netanyahu and his allies have similarly trafficked in anti-Soros sentiments.

Speaking on Netanyahu’s PLO and Iran comparisons, National Council of Jewish Women CEO Sheila Katz stressed that “protesting is a peaceful and essential way to express dissent, advocate for change, and hold leaders accountable. It is a fundamental part of democracy and should be respected and encouraged.”

Anti-judicial overhaul protests are also expected to be held on Monday in the Bay Area and throughout the week in New York, where Netanyahu will meet U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday. Protesters also plan to hold rallies outside the United Nations offices and in front of the hotel where Netanyahu will be staying.

The San Francisco Jewish Community Relations Council, an important Bay Area Jewish umbrella group, published an open letter ahead of Rosh Hashanah in which it supported the protests. The letter voiced concern over the advancement of legislation against the justice system in Israel, and included a direct call on Netanyahu to strive for broad agreements that won’t jeopardize social cohesion in Israel while criticizing him for refusing to meet during his visit.

The letter also included criticism over Netanyahu’s intention to meet with Musk, in light of the world’s richest man backing the campaign targeting the Anti-Defamation League that is rife with antisemitic imagery and tropes.

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