Bernie Sanders celebrates diversity at Des Moines menorah lighting, urges fight against bigotry

Nick Coltrain | Des Moines Register

Show Caption Hide Caption Bernie Sanders shares message of unity at menorah lighting U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders responds to the news of five people being stabbed during a Hanukkah celebration in New York last night while attending a menorah lighting ceremony in Des Moines.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders celebrated the country’s diversity before lighting the final candle on a Des Moines menorah Sunday night, urging the audience to reject bigotry and divisiveness.

Sanders, who is Jewish, said his father fled antisemitism, violence and poverty in Poland in the 1920s to come to the United States — a similar story to those of millions of Americans who trace their heritage all over the world. That diversity and willingness to work together regardless of skin color, religion or origins is “what makes this country great,” he said.

But not everyone in the country is working toward that end, Sanders said. Instead of “celebrating that beautiful diversity... there are people who are today, quite intentionally, trying to divide us up,” he said.

“What we are seeing right now — we’re seeing it in America and we’re seeing it all over the world — is a rise in antisemitism,” Sanders said. “We’re seeing a rise in hate crimes in this country. We’re seeing somebody run into a kid here in Des Moines because that child was a Latino. We’re seeing people being stabbed yesterday in New York City because they were Jewish. We are seeing people being assaulted because they are Muslim.

“… If there was ever a time in American history where we say no to religious bigotry, now is the time. If there was ever a time where we say no to divisiveness, now is the moment.”

Five people were stabbed in a rabbi’s home Saturday night in Monsey, New York, at a Hanukkah celebration. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday the attack was “an act of domestic terrorism.” There have been at least eight antisemitic attacks in New York City over the past week, according to USA TODAY.

An Iowa woman is facing an attempted murder charge for allegedly hitting a girl with her SUV and fleeing the scene. Clive Police Chief Michael Venema said Nicole Poole Franklin, 42, told police she targeted the girl because she is “Mexican.”

At an earlier event in Iowa on Sunday, Sanders accused President Donald Trump of “attempting to turn one group of people against another group of people” and said his administration is demonizing immigrants. As he has before, Sanders called Trump a racist, a sexist, a xenophobe, a homophobe and a religious bigot.

Nick Coltrain is a politics and data reporter for the Register. Reach him at ncoltrain@registermedia.com or at 515-284-8361. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Subscribe today at DesMoinesRegister.com/Deal.