I recently spoke before Kansas City’s Finance, Governance, and Public Safety Committee about antizionist bigotry, the antizionist hate movement, and the way this insidious form of Jew-hatred is harming our communities.
This is the kind of local civic action I encourage all Jews and allies to take as soon as possible. Antizionism is a local issue; a lethal form of Jew-hatred on display in public schools, libraries, unions, arts groups, workplaces, and local institutions across the U.S.
That means local officials need to hear from us, in public and on the record.
My message to Mayor Quinton Lucas and city council members was a simple one.
I told them antizionism is a hate movement that targets the existence of the Jewish state, marks American Jews as “Zionists,” and uses that label to justify discrimination, exclusion, intimidation, and abuse.
Most public officials are familiar with antisemitism, but have little or no understanding of antizionism and its dangers not just to Jews, but to the fabric of American democracy.
That has to change.
If you care about this issue, please speak to your city council, commission, school board, state representatives, and members of Congress. Tell them what is happening. Tell them how antizionist bigotry is affecting Jews in your community. Tell them that antizionism is a civil rights issue, a public safety issue, and a threat to American democratic life.
American Jews should not have to beg public officials to recognize the hatred we face. But until more of them do, we need to keep showing up, standing up for ourselves, and advocating for our communities.
