Rabbi Shmuley Boteach praised Breitbart News as a “friend of the Jewish people” in fighting antisemitism and supporting Jewish self-determination in Israel, offering his remarks in a Thursday-aired interview on SiriusXM’s Breitbart News Daily with host Alex Marlow.

Boteach noted the linkage between antisemitism and anti-Americanism.

“A big thank you,” said Boteach. “I want to acknowledge that Breitbart has been a phenomenal, dependable, and stalwart friend of the Jewish people and Israel from its inception. … It’s only friends who stand up for decency that can stop [hatred of America and of Jews], and Breitbart has been a singular ally of Israel and the Jewish people, consistently. I do want to say that, and say thank you.”

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Boteach added, “I’m not going to fault the churches and the synagogues [for antisemitism]; precisely the opposite. The one stalwart friend that the world’s Jewish community, and the state of Israel in particular, has today is actually the people that go to the churches. The Evangelical Christians in the United States are Israel’s ferocious allies and friends, and their pastors preach a message of protection of Israel [and] support of the Jewish people.”

“President Trump is the most pro-Israel president in American history,” assessed Boteach. “His base is not the Jewish community. Probably only 25 percent of the Jewish community voted for him. His base is primarily Evangelical churches. I’m not going to fault the churches.”

Unlike his predecessors, President Donald Trump visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Israel, as president. “To the president’s great credit, he was the first American president to ever visit the Kotel,” noted Boteach. “Can you imagine that previous president stayed away from the holiest Jewish sit on Earth so as not to antagonize Muslim viewers who would say that he’s recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Kotel, as if Israel’s ever going to relinquish its holiest site?”

Boteach rejected informal neo-Marxist moral hierarchies of race, ethnicity, and faith in reflecting on left-wing and partisan Democrat defenses of antisemitic commentary from Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashia Tlaib (D-MI).

“Ilhan Omar is an out and out Jew-hater, period” said Boteach. “Rashida Tlaib, the antisemitic tropes that she transmits as a congresswoman are shocking.”

“If someone’s a hater — whether they’re Jewish and they’re a hater, Muslim and a hater, atheist and a hater, agnostic and a hater — they need to be condemned,” declared Boteach, “So if you ask me where we went wrong, we went wrong in our failure and our refusal to hate evil. Antisemitism is evil. Racism is evil, and we excuse evil.”

Universal standards of conduct must apply to all persons, added Boteach, regardless of “creed,” “ethnicity,” and “faith.”

“Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar are allowed to attack the Jews any way they want, and the moment we Jews defend ourselves, the response is, ‘You’re attacking women of color,’ observed Boteach. “Women of color? It’s the Jewish bible that says that every human being is created in the image of God; black, white, and every shade in between. … We have forgotten how to fight and oppose evil. Evil can be white. Evil can be black. Evil can be Jewish. Evil can be Muslim. Evil can be Christian. Evil can be agnostic. It’s not defined by a creed. It’s not defined by an ethnicity. It’s not defined by a faith. It’s defined by action.”

Boteach celebrated Breitbart News for its editorial stances in supporting Zionism and opposing antisemitism.

“We’re going to fight [antisemitism] with our friends, our partners, [and] our allies,” stated Boteach. “That’s why I said that I’m very grateful to Breitbart. I know you guys take a lot of crap — sorry for the word — from a lot of people, and the funny thing is — no publication’s perfect; you’re not perfect; I’m not perfect — but I’ve got to tell you, Breitbart has been amazing in joining the Jewish people in the fight against Jew-hatred, and especially the vilification and demonization of Israel. I have to conclude the way I began, which is with deep thanks, because Israel is only hated because it’s a Jewish state.”

“Let no one be fooled that Israel is hated because it’s an occupier,” continued Boteach. “That’s a bunch of garbage. Nobody hates China. They’ve been occupying Tibet since 1951, and Israel’s not even occupying Judea and Samaria. It’s not occupied territory. They’re disputed territories, at worst. Eighty percent of all biblical events for the Jewish people take place in Judea and Samaria. They don’t take place in Tel-Aviv or Haifa. They take place in Hebron. They take place in Shiloh. … Israel is not hated because it’s occupying. Turkey’s been occupying Cyprus since 1975. No one’s boycotting Turkish delights. Russia’s occupying Crimea. We don’t hear anything about this stuff. No one boycotts Apple iPhones because they’re made in China that has been occupying Tibet.”

Boteach added, “Israel is hated because it’s Jewish. Breitbart has been one of the publications that has always recognized that, and has always stood up for Israel, opening up a branch in Jerusalem [and] fighting for Israel. We’re very grateful. Thank you for being an ally of the Jewish people and God bless you guys.”

Breitbart News Daily broadcasts live on SiriusXM Patriot 125 weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Eastern.

Follow Robert Kraychik on Twitter @rkraychik.