This article appeared in the August 27, 2022 edition of the Arizona Daily Star, with the headline Mark Finchem is Dangerous to the Tucson Jewish Community
Tucson Jews for Justice, which includes over 450 members of the Tucson Jewish community, strongly denounces the campaign of Mark Finchem for Arizona secretary of state for the following reasons:
- Finchem has closely associated himself with Gab, the far-right social media platform that is run by a vocal anti-Semite, and a haven for white nationalists and anti-Semites. Finchem has solicited donations from Gab users at least 25 times, and implored users to vote for him.
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Finchem stated on social media he is honored to have the endorsement of Gab founder Andrew Torba. Mr. Torba stated Jews are not welcome on his media platform, and that Jews should be exiled from the conservative movement altogether.
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Gab has proven to be dangerous to the Jewish community. The Pittsburgh synagogue shooter in 2018 used Gab as his primary outlet for his anti-Semitic postings. Gab users celebrated him after the shooting, and voted that 35% of the Jewish people in the West should get genocide. A white nationalist who was convicted of crimes at the deadly 2017 Charlottesville Unite the Right rally (where the chant was “Jews will not replace us”) also had a page on Gab.
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Finchem claimed in a 2017 blog post on his campaign website that the Charlottesville white supremacist rally was a “Deep State” operation facilitated by the media and Democrats.
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Finchem identifies as an Oath Keeper, a far-right militia group that has many members who subscribe to the “great replacement theory,” which posits that people of color are vying to replace white people in spheres of power and influence in a scheme orchestrated by Jews, and charges that George Soros controls the government.
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Finchem was heavily involved in the Jan. 6 insurrection. He helped coordinate the “Stop the Steal” rally that became a deadly riot. Finchem then was walking directly in front of the east steps at the Capitol after pro-Trump rioters had already broken through a series of barricades and police lines, and then smashed their way into the Capitol building. Finchem supported the rioters by posting a photograph on social media he took of rioters on the east steps, and praised the insurrectionists for standing up to Congress.
5) Finchem has endorsed Oklahoma state Senate candidate Jarrin Jackson. Jackson has stated, “I’m not beholden to Jews,” and discussed “Jews taking over the world.”
Finchem represents a danger to the Arizona Jewish community based on his actions and statements. The political violence, fascism and conspiracy theories he supports have historically been very destructive to Jewish communities.
His involvement in white supremacy and anti-Semitism has no place in the Arizona government.