Nancy Pelosi’s deliberate use of the term “stormtroopers” to describe America’s Homeland Security officers quelling riots and protecting people in Portland and Chicago is a vile accusation against our good officers and offensive to Jews across the world.

Speaker Pelosi must know that the Stormtroopers (SturmAbteilung, SA) were the Nazi Party's strongarm squad, which attacked, brutalized, and murdered Hitler's opponents, including countless German Jews, by this means setting the pattern for the Holocaust. In her unending despicable treatment of our President, she continues to propagandize against him through abhorrent language depicting anything done by the President as Hitlerian and actions by the administration as Nazi-like. This is a severe affront to our country and to those Jews who were the genuine victims of real stormtroopers.

Our Homeland Security officers in Portland and Chicago are responsible people sent in behalf of a very worthwhile and necessary mission, namely, protecting the lives of innocent people being threatened by Antifa and certain elements within Black Lives Matter, as well as protecting private property, homes and businesses, and federal buildings. They, unlike the Stormtroopers, are not engaged in genocide.

One would think that all Jewish organizations would cry foul at Pelosi’s use of the term “stormtroopers,” given that so many of our ancestors in Europe were the victims of actual stormtroopers and their evil designs. Many of our ancestors would have cheered President Trump who has been outstanding in his goodwill towards Israel and the Jewish people.  However, most American Jewish organizations have redefined Jewishness as leftist politics with the Democrat Party being its vehicle and their identification, ignoring and minimizing any unsavory pronouncement from a Democrat leader.  The success of the Democrat Party and its leftist agenda has become the most important priority of most American Jewish organizations.  

Over the last few years Speaker Pelosi’s language has become dangerous and seems designed to incite anger and perhaps violence within segments of our population.  Afterwards, she condemns those wishing to protect themselves from that very violence and terrorism her words provoke. This is diabolical and reminiscent of a time-worn leftist tactic: Provoke and Disarm. She is urging the rioters to rise up and "fight the Nazis". Her temperament has become too off-the-wall for someone so close to the presidency.

Rabbi Aryeh Spero is author of “Push Back,” president of Conference of Jewish Affairs, and hosts “The Rabbi Spero Show” weeknights 8 PM Eastern on CRN Talk Radio.