Stop using Jews as pawns to score political points, @TedCruz and @AOC.

Over the weekend, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ted Cruz got into a Twitter argument over which side was more antisemitic:

They wore Auschwitz shirts, erected gallows, and tried to hang the Vice President.

Your continued excusal and denial of Wednesday’s Neo-Nazi presence is abhorrent and dangerous.

The most healing and unifying thing *you* can do is take responsibility for your actions and resign. https://t.co/TlhLkkLPJy

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 9, 2021

Epic hypocrisy. Facts:

1) Nazis are evil bigots.

2) You & your anti-Israel pals blocked a resolution condemning antisemitism—which I passed unanimously in the Senate. https://t.co/kYQGO4zVVU

3) Unless they are genocidal, calling your political opponents Nazis is atrocious. https://t.co/ZV5dhUDRzD

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 9, 2021

Not true. The “record” you cite is the show vote on the watered-down House resolution AFTER you BLOCKED the resolution condemning antisemitism. See: https://t.co/CHlYTvFEDf

You support BDS. And you demand candidates promise NOT to visit Israel: https://t.co/6aKBDKUtAy https://t.co/Z7Kc4zfQ5D

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 9, 2021

Your GOP colleague in the House praised Hitler this week. A Confederate flag was hung outside the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Yet you continue to deny this clear connection in the aftermath of Wednesday’s violence.

You disgrace yourself and your office further every day. Resign.

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 9, 2021

Does any of this make Jews feel more secure as American citizens?

On the contrary. Both sides are using Jews as a political football. Neither of them are expressing support for Jews, but using charges of antisemitism to smear their opponents.

And the Jews are stuck in the middle.

This is not the way to do makes Jews feel comfortable with your messages. The way to do it would be to fight the antisemites who are ostensibly on your side.

It shouldn’t be hard for Cruz or other Republicans to unequivocally condemn the antisemitism that we saw in Washington last week or the attack on the Jewish museum.  There is a serious amount of Jew-hatred among Trump supporters and that must be condemned from the Right more than it is. I didn’t see anyone screaming at the guy wearing the “Camp Auschwitz” T-shirt.  (And saying “Nazis are evil” is hardly brave.)

It shouldn’t be hard for AOC to condemn the antisemitism that we see on the Left from BDSers, from people who follow Louis Farrakhan, and from Arab antisemites. If the Left wants to show they are serious about antisemitism, they should accept the IHRA working definition and stop lying that it suppresses legitimate criticism of Israel.

Only when you risk losing your own antisemitic fanbase will we believe you really care about Jews and that you are sincere in fighting antisemitism. Until then, please, don’t use Jews to score political points.

We aren’t pawns and – except for those of us whose political ideologies are extreme - we can sense when we have true allies as opposed to people who are trying to use us.