For Immediate Release: December 16, 2025
Media Contact: [email protected]
NEW YORK, NY – Bend the Arc: Jewish Action released the following statement from CEO Jamie Beran in response to posts by Vice President JD Vance.
A regime whose very platform is entirely built on antisemitism and racism suggests that we eliminate both by… practicing both? And it’s only Tuesday. Right-wing and white nationalist movements use antisemitism and anti-immigrant xenophobia together to maintain and grow their power — as JD Vance’s comments today perfectly embody.
This isn’t new. Every generation has had those in power scapegoat immigrants — whether they were Jewish, Italian, Irish, Chinese, Haitian, Mexican, Somali, or of any other background — for the harmful policies these leaders themselves have enabled. They try to convince us that those they made into scapegoats are threats to our safety while enabling policies that put all of us in danger.
A strong democracy is what keeps American Jews and all Americans safest. And JD Vance, Donald Trump, and their MAGA enablers in Congress are openly disassembling our democracy while simultaneously blaming immigrants, Arabs, and Muslims for it (when they’re not blaming Jews, trans people, unions, school teachers and any group that proves useful in that moment).
We believe in a strong democracy, where every person has what they need to be safe and thrive instead of having the social services, educational programs, and health care that protect us dismantled. We believe in a strong democracy with an immigration policy based on democratic ideals instead of racism, scapegoating, and the antisemitic “great replacement” hoax. We believe in a strong democracy where leaders invest in civil rights infrastructure that protects all people from discrimination instead of welcoming neo-Nazis into their movement. We believe in a strong democracy where elected officials confront hatred and bigotry instead of pardoning insurrectionists who celebrate Auschwitz and dining with white nationalists like Nick Fuentes.
JD Vance is trying to break us apart because he knows our progressive majority stands in the way of the regime’s plans for authoritarian rule. But we know that Jews are not made safer by targeting immigrants. We know we are stronger and safer in solidarity together. And we know that our majority can beat authoritarianism.
