Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro has found himself at the center of a Twitter firestorm after he took a jab at Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders by claiming Sanders isn't actually Jewish.
The incident unfolded following Sanders' involvement in a Nakba Day event organized by Michigan Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American woman elected to Congress.
The event sought to commemorate the Nakba, meaning "catastrophe" in Arabic, which signifies the displacement of Palestinians from their homes in the wake of Israel's establishment in 1948.
As a Jewish individual who has been openly critical of the Israeli government and shown empathy towards the Palestinian cause, Sanders has often drawn the ire of conservative circles.
Shapiro, seizing the opportunity, questioned Sanders' Jewish heritage in response to a tweet about the senator's involvement in the Nakba Day event.
In a derisive comment, Shapiro remarked,
"Bernie Sanders is approximately as Jewish as a ham sandwich topped with shrimp on lard bread."
You can see Shapiro's tweet below.
\u201cBernie Sanders is approximately as Jewish as a ham sandwich topped with shrimp on lard bread\u201d— Ben Shapiro (@Ben Shapiro) 1683766975
Twitter users swiftly condemned Shapiro's comment, with many highlighting the irony and insensitivity of his statement.
\u201c@benshapiro He's as Jewish as you and me.\u201d— Ben Shapiro (@Ben Shapiro) 1683766975
\u201c@benshapiro I wonder how God feels about you declaring who is and isn't jewish ? That job should be left for the creator, should it not ? \ud83e\udd14 ... I'm no expert on the religion, but in many other religions, your tweet would be considered sacrilegious.\u201d— Ben Shapiro (@Ben Shapiro) 1683766975
\u201c@benshapiro Is your measure of a person\u2019s Jewishness entirely determined by how many racist comments they\u2019ve made against Palestinians\u201d— Ben Shapiro (@Ben Shapiro) 1683766975
\u201c@benshapiro are you the official gatekeeper of judaism benjamin\u201d— Ben Shapiro (@Ben Shapiro) 1683766975
\u201c@benshapiro Ben Shapiro is approximately as American as an Israeli sandwich topped with Propaganda on Palestinian Genocide falafel.\u201d— Ben Shapiro (@Ben Shapiro) 1683766975
\u201c@benshapiro He was Jewish enough to have his family murdered in the Holocaust Ben\n\nBut please, keep playing into the identity politics you claim to hate\u201d— Ben Shapiro (@Ben Shapiro) 1683766975
\u201c@benshapiro The "No Real Jewman Fallacy," eh?\u201d— Ben Shapiro (@Ben Shapiro) 1683766975
\u201c@benshapiro We can disagree with his politics without undermining his Jewishness which is the same amongst all Jews, regardless of their religiousness, politics, or views.\u201d— Ben Shapiro (@Ben Shapiro) 1683766975
In an attempt to provide context and counter Shapiro's assertion, Twitter shared crucial information about Sanders' Jewish roots.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Sanders is the son of Jewish immigrants. His father, Elias, migrated from Poland in 1921 at the tender age of 17.
Moreover, during an appearance on the PBS show Finding Your Roots, Sanders discovered the tragic fate of family members who perished in the Holocaust.
The Senator learned his paternal uncle, Abraham, was executed by Nazis in 1942 after displaying extraordinary courage and refusing to turn people over to be killed. This poignant revelation, revealed on the show, adds further weight to the profound impact of the Holocaust on Sanders' family history and reaffirms his Jewish heritage beyond any doubt.