Naftali Bennett prays in Pittsburgh after shooting
Naftali Bennett prays in Pittsburgh after shootingAlexei Rosenfeld

A left-leaning American Jewish lobby group slammed Israeli Education Minister and Jewish Home party leader Naftali Bennett on Thursday, after Bennett derided attempts to blame President Donald Trump for Saturday’s deadly mass-shooting in a Pennsylvania synagogue.

On the group’s official Twitter account, J Street wrote that by rejecting attempts to link the president to the deadly shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue, Bennett was “giving cover” to Trump to “spread fear, division and hate.”

“Diaspora Affairs Minister @naftalibennett should try listening to the Jewish community in Pittsburgh & across the US instead of lecturing us. What's "unfair and wrong" is giving cover to @realdonaldtrump as he continues to spread fear, division and hate.”

Attached to the tweet was a link to a JTA article reporting on Bennett’s comments Tuesday rejecting attempts to tie President Trump’s rhetoric to the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre which left 11 dead and 6 wounded.

“Some people are using this horrific anti-Semitic act to attack President Trump. This is unfair and wrong,” Bennett said.

“President Trump is a true friend of the State of Israel and to the Jewish people. With President Trump we never have to worry if he has our backs. He has delivered on every promise. This is something we will never forget. He is fighting terror worldwide including Israel’s greatest enemy, the murderous regime of Tehran,” Bennett said.

“He recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and kept his promise to move the embassy there.”

“His condemnation of anti-Semitism — when he said he would destroy those that seek to destroy the Jewish people — was the strongest condemnation of anti-Semitism that I have ever heard from a politician outside the State of Israel.”