JCRC Statement
February 6, 2026
The following is a statement from Guila Franklin Siegel, Chief Operating Officer of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington.
“Political candidates at all levels and across parties should commit in their words and actions to fighting antisemitism. The comments and social media posts from Shelly Arnoldi do the exact opposite. She has repeatedly spread all manner of outrageous antisemitic tropes—suggesting Jews control the world; telling Jewish people to move to Israel; arguing that Jews are plotting to weaken our government; and insinuating that Israel ‘owns’ America. They have no place whatsoever in America’s political discourse.
“Jews have encountered these types of baseless and reprehensible charges for thousands of years, but we do not have the luxury of ignoring or becoming numb to them. In a time where antisemitism is running rampant locally and nationally, they put Jewish families and communities at continued and elevated risk of real harm.
“We call on every political candidate to model respect, empathy, and understanding in their campaigns.”