Col. Douglas Macgregor. (Photo by: BMG-2048)
(Washington, DC -- July 28th, 2020) -- The StandWithUs Center for Combating Antisemitism (CCA) is deeply concerned about the potential nomination of U.S. Army Col. Douglas Macgregor as the next U.S. ambassador to Germany. Colonel Macgregor has previously alleged that a group of Jews, whom he references as “neocons,” exert power within “a variety of settings in the government and in the media” in ways that “unconditional[ly] support ... whatever the Israeli government wants to do,” even if those decisions are not in the best interests of America.
"This is nothing more than a repackaging of the antisemitic conspiracy theory alleging that Jews are more loyal to Israel than they are to the countries of which they are citizens," said Roz Rothstein, CEO of StandWithUs. "As the child of Holocaust survivors I know too well how dangerous such rhetoric can be. Disagreements over policy should focus on ideas, not hateful attacks alleging disloyalty or dual loyalties."
Accusations of dual loyalty are blatantly antisemitic in nature and have a dark history. For example, Hitler and the Nazis would falsely claim that Jewish soldiers "stabbed the German army in the back" during WWI. Echoing this hate today has the very real potential to turn public sentiment against the Jewish people and foment surges of antisemitism within society.
When U.S. Representatives Omar and Tlaib made similar accusations in the past, they were overwhelmingly condemned by leaders across the political spectrum. Given the continued rise in antisemitism within both Europe and the U.S., it is imperative that our government officials are people who oppose such harmful rhetoric, rather than trafficking in it.
Barring additional information showing that Col. Macgregor has previously apologized for his comments and acknowledged why they were wrong, the CCA calls for a better nominee to be selected to represent American interests in Germany. The American people deserve an ambassador who respects the Jewish community and all other minority groups, fights against hateful rhetoric, and upholds the crucial alliance between Israel and the United States.
About StandWithUs
StandWithUs (SWU) is an international, non-profit and non-partisan Israel education organization that works to inspire and educate people of all ages about Israel, as well as challenge misinformation and fight against antisemitism.
Through university fellowships, high school internships, middle school curricula, conferences, materials, social media, educational films and missions to Israel, StandWithUs supports people around the world who want to educate their schools and communities about Israel.
Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Los Angeles, the organization has chapters and programs on 5 continents, including the U.S., Israel, UK, Canada, South Africa and Brazil.
For the last 7 years, SWU has consistently received the highest possible ratings from Charity Navigator (4 stars) and Guidestar (Platinum).
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