Blumenthal ‘Very Wary’ of Labeling Judaism a Nationality — ‘Smacks of What Happened in Soviet Union, Nazi Germany

Wednesday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) reacted to President Donald Trump’s plan to sign an executive order directing federal agencies to apply Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to Jews, banning discrimination against them based on “race, color, or national origin.”

Blumenthal said on CNN’s “New Day” as a Jew himself, he is “very, very wary” of labeling Judaism as a nationality because it “smacks” of what happened in the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.

“I am very, very wary as a jew of labeling Judaism as a nationality,” Blumenthal told host John Berman. “It smacks not only of what happened in Soviet Union but Nazi Germany that my own father escaped in 1935. I am an American. My religion is Judaism, and my allegiance is to the United States of America. And I think there are other tools to fight discrimination.”

He added, “There is no reason that we need to label Judaism as a nationality. I’m very wary of it.”

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