A discussion about the rise of anti-Semitic incidents in the United States held at the Knesset on Tuesday, March 7, became heated after communist MK pointed finger at both the US and Israeli far-right leadership. Speaking at the meeting hosted by the Knesset Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Committee, Hadash MK Dov Khenin (Joint List) accused US President Donald Trump of anti-Semitism, islamophobia and racism. “The elephant in the room is the president of the United States and the team around him,” Khenin said, recalling recent comments made by Trump that bomb threats targeting Jewish institutions in recent weeks could be false flags designed “to make others look bad.”

“I do not remember a US administration ever speaking in this way. It’s a dangerous phenomenon of right-wing nostalgia for fascism,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is supporting anti-Semitic Trump.

Committee chairperson Avraham Neguise (Likud) was quick to denounce and distance himself from Khenin’s remarks, saying they do not reflect the committee’s stance. He later released a statement saying that the aim of the meeting had been to discuss the issue with US representatives. “Unfortunately, the leftist MK politically exploited a subject of consensus,” Neguise said, adding that he fears it could have caused “diplomatic damage to the best friendship Israel has.”