Doug Emhoff says there's an 'epidemic of hate' in the US at White House antisemitism roundtable

• The White House hosted an antisemitism roundtable Wednesday with Jewish leaders and organizations.
• The roundtable discussion was hosted by Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish.
• Emhoff said: "I will not remain silent. I am proud to be Jewish."

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff joined the White House's condemnation of the recent rise in antisemitic attacks, calling it an "epidemic of hate," at a roundtable discussion he hosted on Wednesday.

"Let me be clear: Words matter. People are no longer saying the quiet parts out loud. They are screaming them," Emhoff said.

The roundtable comes as rapper and 2024 presidential candidate Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, faces widespread criticism for making a slew of antisemitic remarks. Most recently, Ye met with former President Donald Trump and white supremacist Nick Fuentes at Mar-a-Lago, praised Adolf Hitler and the Nazis on Alex Jones' radio show, and was suspended from Twitter last week after posting an image of a swastika.

President Joe Biden condemned antisemitism last week.

"I just want to make a few things clear: The Holocaust happened. Hitler was a demonic figure. And instead of giving it a platform, our political leaders should be calling out and rejecting anti-Semitism wherever it hides. Silence is complicity," Biden tweeted Thursday after Ye's radio show appearance.

—President Biden (@POTUS) December 2, 2022

Emhoff, who is Jewish, was joined by White House domestic policy advisor Susan Rice, special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt, Keisha Lance Bottoms, who is a senior advisor to the president for public engagement, and several other White House officials focused on national security and those tasked with liaising with religious communities.

A number of Jewish organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, Hillel, the United Synagogue of Jewish Conservatism, the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, and the Religious Action Center were also present.

The second gentleman noted that antisemitism is not a partisan issue.

"We cannot normalize this. We all have an obligation to condemn these vile acts. We must not stay silent," Emhoff said. "There is no 'either or.' There are no two sides. Everyone must be against this."

Emhoff declared that he will not stand idly by and will work with Jewish leaders to continue combatting antisemitism in America.

"I'm proud to live openly as a Jew," Emhoff said during his remarks. "I am not afraid. I refuse to be afraid."