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Sanders Highlights Jewish Faith in Video: Campaign Update

Sanders Highlights Jewish Faith in Video: Campaign Update

(Bloomberg) -- Bernie Sanders embraced his religious identity in a new video released Sunday and said he looks “forward to becoming the first Jewish president” amid rising anti-Semitism and targeted attacks against Jews.

“If there was ever a time in American history where we say no to religious bigotry, this is the time,” Sanders says in the video.

The video shows images of the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and cites reports of rising anti-Semitism across the country during Donald Trump’s presidency. Sanders, who rarely discusses his personal life and faith, is the son of a Jewish immigrant from Poland whose family was killed in the Holocaust.

Jamie Margolin, a Jewish climate justice activist and organizer supporting Sanders, said in the video that a Sanders’ presidency would be “a huge step forward” and “blowback against the rise of anti-Semitism.”

“They were chanting in Charlottesville ‘Jews will not replace us!’” Margolin said. “Having a Jew literally replace them, would be like -- that would be so satisfying.”

Margolin’s quote was followed by a clip of Trump stating there were “very fine people on both sides” of the march.

Some Sanders opponents have accused him of not fully supporting the Jewish community because he backs a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Earlier in the video, there’s a clip of Trump chastising Jewish Democrats for having “either a total lack of knowledge or a great disloyalty.”

COMING UP

Democratic presidential candidates will meet for their next debate on Feb. 19 in Las Vegas. Nevada holds its caucuses on Feb. 22, and South Carolina has a primary on Feb. 29.

(Disclaimer: Michael Bloomberg is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. He is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.)

To contact the reporter on this story: Emma Kinery in Denver, Colorado at ekinery@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Magan Crane, Virginia Van Natta

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