Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing accusations of antisemitism following a misleading report by Jonathan Levine of the New York Post.
Kennedy Jr. is facing accusations of antisemitism following a misleading report by Jonathan Levine of the New York Post.
Levine falsely claimed that Kennedy had suggested COVID-19 was engineered to protect Jews. However, video footage of Kennedy's remarks, which Levine later shared on Twitter with a misleading headline, clearly shows that Kennedy never made such a statement.
What Kennedy did say was that he believes certain governments have the capability to target bioweapons at specific ethnicities. As evidence, he cited research suggesting that certain groups were more susceptible to COVID-19 than others. However, Kennedy also emphasized that he does not know if this susceptibility was intentional.
In response to the accusations, Kennedy took to Twitter to defend himself, citing an NIH study that documented the disproportionate impact of the virus. He explicitly stated that he never suggested that COVID-19 was targeted to spare Jews. Kennedy also accused Levine of violating an understanding that the event would be off the record.
Levine, who admits to being present at the dinner where Kennedy made his remarks, did not report asking any follow-up questions or expressing any protest. Furthermore, he posted the video on the Jewish Sabbath, a time when observant Jews would typically be offline.
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, whose organization, the World Values Network, announced that it would be hosting Kennedy for a speech titled "The Case for Israel," came to Kennedy's defense. Boteach conducted an interview with Kennedy, during which Kennedy clarified his remarks. Boteach also marched alongside Kennedy in a parade celebrating Israel's 75th anniversary.
Boteach released a formal statement defending Kennedy, stating that while he strongly disagrees with Kennedy on the topic of COVID-19 vaccines, he finds the suggestion that Kennedy is antisemitic to be a "disgusting lie." Boteach highlighted Kennedy's support for Israel, his public criticism of antisemitism, and his call for the Democratic Party to return to its strong support of Israel.
Kennedy's treatment in the media is reminiscent of the treatment received by former President Donald Trump, who was frequently smeared as an antisemite despite his support for Jews and Israel.
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