Morton Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America, criticized Democratic leaders for what he said was an insufficient response to antisemitic rhetoric by some elected officials and candidates. Klein made the remarks in a Monday interview with Fox News Digital, according to the source report. He said he was speaking for himself, not on behalf of the ZOA.
Klein named Rep. Ilhan Omar, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. He accused them of hostility toward Jews and Israel, characterizing their positions as anti-Israel rather than simply supportive of Palestinians. Those are Klein’s accusations and opinions; the article does not provide responses from the named individuals to his criticisms.
The report centers in part on El-Sayed’s response during a Michigan Senate debate to a question about whether Iran poses a greater threat to the United States than Israel. Klein said El-Sayed did not identify Iran as the greater threat and described both Iran and Israel as dangerous to America. Klein also objected to El-Sayed’s comparison of Israel with Hamas.
Klein faulted Democratic figures who have supported El-Sayed, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. He argued that party leaders should have condemned El-Sayed’s remarks. The report says El-Sayed has also spoken positively about Judaism and expressed a commitment to Jewish safety, including saying that protecting Jewish people was as important to him as protecting his daughters.
Klein also criticized Mamdani for declining to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada.” Klein called the phrase a call to violence against Jews. The article notes that Mamdani has pledged to protect Jewish neighbors and has expressed opposition to antisemitism. It does not include Mamdani’s explanation for his response to the phrase.
The interview broadened to Israel’s response to Hamas and the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. Klein said Hamas’s objective is the destruction of Israel and argued that Israel should respond forcefully to terrorism. He rejected the idea that the conflict is principally about territory or Palestinian statehood, presenting that as his interpretation. The article includes his descriptions of the attacks, but does not independently examine those accounts or provide a response from Hamas or Palestinian representatives.
Klein also discussed Israel’s election, which the source says was scheduled for Oct. 27. He predicted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was likely to remain in office but could need a wider governing coalition that includes left-of-center parties. Klein warned that such partners might restrain the government’s security policies, describing them as more inclined toward concessions. These are his forecasts and political judgments, not confirmed election results.
The article identifies Klein as the head of the ZOA and says the organization is a 501(c)(3), which he noted is legally restricted from taking positions on candidacies. His interview comments were presented as personal views. The material primarily reports his criticisms and does not include interviews with the politicians he named or independent evidence assessing his allegations.
