News

David Duke Says Jews Aren’t White — and Jews Clap Back

Image by Nikki Casey

By Daniel J. Solomon December 6, 2016

A new article in The Atlantic magazine posed the question of whether Jews are white, and of course David Duke, white supremacist, has the answer.

No – JEWS ARE NOT WHITE! https://t.co/EqNJpej0Z6

— David Duke (@DrDavidDuke) December 5, 2016

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)
I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Email(Required)

The article was spurred by the rise this election season of the “alt-right,” which championed the candidacy of President-elect Donald Trump and brought into public view anti-Semitic sentiments that had been excluded from the mainstream for generations.

Duke’s response bemused many Jews of the Twittersphere, who say it’s just not that simple.

Have you seen us dance? @DrDavidDuke @TheAtlantic

— Ben Hartman (@Benhartman) December 5, 2016

Another evoked the most famous Jew of all.

David Duke: Jews are not white! Me: Jesus was a Jew. D.D.: So? Me: That means Jesus wasn’t white. >D.D.: [head explodes into a million swastikas]

— (((OhNoSheTwitnt))) (@OhNoSheTwitnt) December 6, 2016

Many tried to harness the power of pop culture to make their point that nothing, dear David Duke, is black or white. Especially not Lenny Kravitz, Lisa Bonet and their gorgeous offspring, Zoe Kravitz. And what about Scarlett Johansson? What about Ivanka Trump?

.@DrDavidDuke Maybe not, but half Jew, half black, is probably the master race. pic.twitter.com/Lw9bLvOBOS

— Gladstone (@WGladstone) December 5, 2016

Not all the sass directed at Duke was so lighthearted.

@DrDavidDuke Fair warning to anyone seeking to “purify” the white race. This is your face on a severely restricted gene pool. Any questions? pic.twitter.com/4cnHrutqVp

— ??Saucy Stacey?? (@DrCrane72) December 5, 2016

Contact Daniel J. Solomon at [email protected] or on Twitter, @DanielJSolomon

Daniel J. Solomon is the former Assistant to the Editor/News Writer at the Forward. Originally from Queens, he attended Harvard as an undergraduate, where he wrote his senior thesis on French-Jewish intellectual history. He is excited to have returned to New York after his time in Massachusetts. Daniel’s passions include folk music, cycling, and pointed argument.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO