Trump: Any Jew voting Democratic is uninformed or disloyal

WASHINGTON (AP) — Showing a fresh willingness to play politics along religious lines, President Donald Trump said American Jews who vote for Democrats show "either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty."

Trump's claim triggered a quick uproar from critics who said the Republican president was trading in anti-Semitic stereotypes. It came amid Trump's ongoing feud with Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, who are Muslim.

Trump has closely aligned himself with Israel, including conservative Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while the congresswomen are outspoken critics of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians. Tlaib is a U.S.-born Palestinian American; Omar was born in Somalia.

"Where has the Democratic Party gone? Where have they gone where they are defending these two people over the state of Israel?" Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday. "I think any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat, I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty."

A number of Jewish groups noted that accusations of disloyalty have long been made against Jews, including in Europe during the 1930s. Ann Lewis and Mark Mellman of Democratic Majority for Israel called it "one of the most dangerous, deadly accusations Jews have faced over the years. False charges of disloyalty over the centuries have led to Jews being murdered, jailed and tortured."

At Trump's urging, Israel last week blocked Omar and Tlaib from entering the country. Israel later agreed to a humanitarian visit for Tlaib to visit her grandmother, who lives in the West Bank. Tlaib declined, saying her grandmother had ultimately urged her not to come under what they considered to be humiliating circumstances.

Trump called Omar a "disaster" for Jews and said he didn't "buy" the tears that Tlaib shed Monday as she discussed the situation. Both lawmakers support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, a global protest of Israel.

Trump's comments were denounced swiftly by Jewish American organizations.