Rudy Giuliani: 'I’m more of a Jew' than George Soros, a Holocaust survivor

Savannah Behrmann | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Giuliani says he gave info to Trump on Yovanovitch Rudy Giuliani says he provided the president with information that the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine was impeding investigations that could benefit Trump.

This news story has been updated to include Rudy Giuliani's tweet on 12/24/2019

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani claimed that he is “more of a Jew” than George Soros, a Jewish billionaire and Holocaust survivor, in comments reported Monday.

In an interview published by New York Magazine, Giuliani characterized Soros, a billionaire investor who is also a prominent donor to U.S. Democratic candidates and campaign committees, as someone who pulled strings in Ukraine, including control over the since ousted U.S. ambassador Marie Yovanovitch. Soros has repeatedly been the target of conspiracy theories.

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“He put all four ambassadors there. And he’s employing the FBI agents,” Giuliani claimed. “Don’t tell me I’m anti-Semitic if I oppose him.”

“Soros is hardly a Jew. I’m more of a Jew than Soros is. I probably know more about — he doesn’t go to church, he doesn’t go to religion — synagogue. He doesn’t belong to a synagogue, he doesn’t support Israel, he’s an enemy of Israel. He’s elected eight anarchist DA’s in the United States. He’s a horrible human being,” Giuliani continued.

NBC News asked Giuliani, who is a Roman Catholic, about his comments. He reportedly replied, "I'm more Jewish than half my friends."

He doubled down on the comments on Tuesday, tweeting that those who oppose Soros-linked groups "are not only better Jews, but better people than him. Certainly not anti-Semitic."

Soros has funded many enemies to the State of Israel, including groups that support BDS, who’s ultimate goal is to destroy the Jewish homeland.



Those who oppose these groups are not only better Jews, but better people than him. Most certainly not anti-Semitic. — Rudy Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) December 24, 2019

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Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, replied to the Giuliani's comments to New York Magazine via Twitter: "Opposing Soros isn’t what’s #antiSemitic. Saying that he controls ambassadors, employs FBI agents and isn’t 'Jewish enough' to be demonized is."

Opposing Soros isn’t what’s #antiSemitic.



Saying that he controls ambassadors, employs FBI agents and isn’t “Jewish enough” to be demonized is.



Our experts explain the #antiSemitism behind Soros conspiracies: https://t.co/rK4ZXecMxn https://t.co/uFvsRvB2Ys — Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) December 23, 2019

In a separate response, the American Jewish Committee, an international advocacy organization, tweeted that it is "offensive to deny anyone's faith, and worse to endorse classically antisemitic conspiracy theories."

No, Mayor, you’re not “more of a Jew than Soros.” You’re entitled to your views, and to denouncing his. But it’s offensive to deny anyone’s faith, and worse to endorse classically antisemitic conspiracy theories.https://t.co/NnXrK2MRDt — American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) December 23, 2019

During her testimony in front of lawmakers on Capitol Hill during the impeachment inquiry, Dr. Fiona Hill, a former National Security Council official, spoke on the conspiracy theories surrounding Soros, calling them the "longest-running anti-Semitic trope that we have in history" and "the new Protocols of The Elders of Zion."

"When I saw this happening to Ambassador Yovanovitch again, I was furious, because this is, again, just this whipping up of what is frankly an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory about George Soros to basically target nonpartisan career officials, and also some political appointees as well, because I just want to say this: This is not indiscriminate in its attacks," she said.

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The former New York City Mayor and former U.S. Attorney in New York's Southern District has emerged to be a key player in the events that led to Trump’s impeachment. Giuliani also has become the subject of a criminal investigation by federal prosecutors.

The investigation focuses in part on Giuliani's work with Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman. The Soviet-born business associates and legal clients sought Yovanovich's ouster and helped Giuliani seek damaging information in Ukraine about the family of Joe Biden, the former U.S. vice president who is vying to challenge Trump in the 2020 presidential election.

Parnas and Fruman have been indicted in New York on federal criminal charges that they schemed to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars in foreign funds to U.S. political candidates and campaign committees. Two others were also indicted in the case. All four have pleaded not guilty.

Referring to reports that he's under investigation by the office he led during the 1980s, Giuliani said in the magazine interview: “If they are (investigating me), they’re idiots. Then they really are a Trump-deranged bunch of silly New York liberals.”

Contributing: Kevin McCoy