In Kansas City, second gentleman Doug Emhoff calls US support of Israel's security 'ironclad'

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Second gentleman Doug Emhoff reaffirmed U.S. support for Israel’s security during an appearance in Kansas City on Tuesday, as he acknowledged the Jewish community faces a rising tide of antisemitism.

Emhoff’s trip to Kansas City to speak to a conference on combating antisemitism came during a fraught moment for Jews in America and worldwide amid rising incidents of antisemitism following Hamas’s Oct. 7 assault on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza. Over the weekend, Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel.

“Israel this weekend faced an unprecedented attack in Israel – on Israel. President Biden and Vice President Harris made clear that the United States’ commitment to Israel’s security is ironclad,” Emhoff said. “The United States will continue to help Israel defend itself.”

Antisemitic incidents in Missouri rose from 30 in 2022 to 125 in 2023, according to data tracked by the Anti-Defamation League and released on Tuesday. The spike was the largest percentage increase among any state with more than 100 incidents, according to the ADL, with 62% of incidents taking place after Oct. 7.

Emhoff, the first Jewish spouse of an American president or vice president, has made combating antisemitism a priority as second gentleman. He nodded to the ADL’s new report, saying that “of course since Oct. 7 it’s even worse.”

“It validates what we all know, what we’re all seeing. And I think the numbers are even worse – that’s just what gets reported,” Emhoff said. “So the mission that we had before Oct. 7 and the work that I’ve been doing as part of the administration will continue. It’s taken on more importance and it’s not going to stop.”

Emhoff spoke at Rockhurst University, participating in a keynote discussion during a regional summit on combating antisemitism hosted by JCRB | AJC Kansas City, a Jewish community organization that fights antisemitism.

The summit took place just days after the 10th anniversary of the Overland Park Jewish Community Center shooting. On April 13, 2014, an Aurora, Missouri, man shot and killed three people – two at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City and one at the Jewish retirement community Village Shalom.

Johnson County Commission Chair Mike Kelly said it’s important to take the opportunity to receive education about antisemitism. “I think as our community continues to grow, we continue to become more diverse, we need to utilize the resources that are available and today is a good recognition of that,” Kelly said.

Emhoff’s focus on antisemitism predates the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, but it has taken on a new urgency in recent months. At a White House gathering of Jewish community leaders immediately after the attack, Emhoff said “many of us feel a deep fear that these attacks will unfortunately and already have led to a rise in hate and antisemitism.”

...continued

swipe to next page