Louisiana Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal took aim at the White House for "disrespecting Israel and the Jewish people" after it was revealed that President Barack Obama’s authorization for the use of military force against the Islamic State (IS) failed to mention that Jews are a prime target of the terror group, according to a statement provided to the Washington Free Beacon.
Obama’s war authorization came under fire on Wednesday after Rep. Lee Zeldin (R., N.Y.), Congress’ only Jewish Republican, noted that the resolution specifically omits Jewish people as one of IS’s (also known as ISIS and ISIL) chief targets.
It does, however, name several other ethnic groups that are threatened by IS, including Yezidis, Iraqi Christians, and Turkmens.
Jindal told the Free Beacon in a statement that the White House’s omission of Jews is part of a pattern of hostility towards Israel.
"It’s inconceivable that the White House left the Jewish people out of the list of the Islamic State’s targets in their request for authorization for military force," Jindal said. "There are countless examples of the Obama administration disrespecting Israel and the Jewish people, but this omission in the AUMF follows two signs of disrespect in only the last several days."
Jindal said that these repeated shots at Israel and Jews are intentional.
"These are not mistakes. These are not gaffes. Undermining America’s longstanding alliance with Israel and disrespecting Jewish people seems to be a strategic aim of this White House," Jindal said.
In addition to the war authorization, the administration has come under fire for calling the anti-Semitic attacks on a kosher supermarket in Paris a "random" act that targeted no one in particular.
"For some bizarre reason, they fail to recognize the threat that Israel and the Jewish people face in the Middle East and in Europe," Jindal said. "There is a rising tide of anti-Semitism in the world and America has to stand with Israel and the Jewish people against these extremists."