SHAFAQNA- Hillary Clinton has compared Donald Trump’s proposed temporary ban on foreign Muslims with America’s refusal to take a shipload of Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany in 1939.
Speaking at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s annual conference in Washington, Mrs Clinton spoke out about intolerance on the campaign trail and speeches: “demanding we turn away refugees because of their religion and proposing a ban on all Muslims entering the United States.”
Referencing the decision to turn back the German ocean liner MS St. Louis 77 years ago, she said: “We’ve had dark chapters in our history before. We remember the nearly 1,000 Jews aboard the St Louis who were refused entry in 1939 and sent back to Europe.
“But America should be better than this and I believe it is our responsibility to say so. If you see bigotry oppose it, if you see violence condemn it, if you see a bully stand up to him.”
Mr Trump and the two other remaining Republican presidential candidates, Ted Cruz and John Kasich, were due to speak later at the same conference.
The billionaire has described himself as “extremely pro-Israel” and he served as grand marshal for the Israel parade in New York in 2004, but a group of rabbis have said they will boycott his speech.
Rabbi David Paskin said: “This is about denouncing hatred in all forms.”