US Jewish groups express support for China on virus

Representatives of American Jewish communities presented a letter to the Chinese embassy in the US on Wednesday, expressing their solidarity with China as it is combating the novel coronavirus outbreak. They also voiced opposition to the prejudice fueled by the infection.

"We are concerned about rising xenophobia aimed at Chinese people in this country and abroad over the COVID-19," said the letter co-signed by about 80 Jewish organizations from across the US, including the rabbinical bodies of the four major branches of Judaism.

In recent weeks, since public reports of the virus in January, social media have been filled with "malicious allegations and misinformation" against Chinese people over fears of the coronavirus, and Chinese businesses also have been affected, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) said in a statement.

"We know that in such times, concern can quickly turn into hysteria, which can lead to scapegoating. We pledge to help ensure that Chinese people feel safe and supported, and to combat attacks and stereotyping on social media," the letter said.

"We know from history, ours and yours, that such fearmongering can be devastating," it added.

David Bernstein, JCPA president and CEO, said the Jewish people in the United States wanted Chinese people to feel their love, solidarity and friendship.

"There's a phrase that you never let a crisis go to waste. And we want to make sure that we take advantage of this crisis, to even deepen our ties to the Chinese people," he told reporters after presenting the letter Wednesday.

Bernstein said he believed in the resiliency of the Chinese economy. "Even with the current pitfall, the Chinese people will rebound," he said.

Rabbi Abbi Sharofsky, director of intergroup relations of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Greater Washington, said she had contacted members of Chinese chambers of commerce in the US and reached out to a Chinese community center in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

"Just as all faith groups reached out to our JCRC in a time of bomb threats, I know it was the right thing for our Jewish community to be reaching out to the Chinese community," Sharofsky said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian applauded the gesture of the Jewish people.

"It's so touching to see such friendship the US Jewish community cherishes toward the Chinese community in the US and the Chinese people," Zhao said on Thursday. "This is another example of friendship between Chinese and American people, and between the Chinese and Jewish ethnicities."

While infectious diseases are a common challenge facing the people of China, the US and the rest of the world, solidarity and cooperation is the most powerful weapon in the fight against an epidemic, the spokesman said.

Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai said China is grateful to the American people for their understanding, solidarity and support of China's fight against COVID-19.

The epidemic situation has once again highlighted the need of the world communities, especially China and the United States, to cooperate in the global public health area and other realms, to safeguard the common interests of humanity, Cui said.

It also has shown that China's proposition of building a community of a shared future for mankind conforms to the needs of the era, Cui added.

Asked if the outbreak will affect the implementation of the China-US phase one trade deal, Cui said that the agreement surely will be implemented, and that both countries should be sincere in implementing it as well.

He noted that both countries are focused on controlling the epidemic, and China is confident that it could get the outbreak under control.

New situations arising from the outbreak should be resolved, Cui said. For example, the phase one trade deal includes purchases, but travel restrictions would make purchasing difficult.