The Mercer Island City Council has adopted a proclamation that condemns antisemitism.
The motion followed the appearances of 15 speakers voicing their opinions for and against the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) non-legally binding working definition of antisemitism, which was included within a proposed city of Mercer Island proclamation.
All the speakers at the July 16 council meeting noted that they condemn antisemitism. Eleven of them are concerned with the wording within the IHRA definition, and four of them support the definition and encouraged council to approve the proclamation.
Speaker Angela Bahng — one of the 11 — shared her thoughts regarding the definition: “While well intentioned, (it) has been widely criticized for conflating legitimate criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism, thereby stifling free speech and disproportionately impacting human rights advocates.”
Isabelle Floodwallin added: “The definition discourages open discussion of important political subjects and suppresses the voices of the already suppressed.”
On the opposite side at the meeting, Deanne Etsekson, passionately noted: “I hope the council will see through this disturbing mindset and focus on passing IHRA, the globally recognized, unambiguous gold-standard definition of antisemitism, supported by the effective entirety of the global organized Jewish community.”
Russell Federman said the IHRA definition is meaningful to the Jewish community and should be included in the proclamation.
Deputy Major David Rosenbaum said the city received about 100 emails regarding the definition in the 24 hours leading up to the meeting at the Mercer Island Community and Event Center. He approved of the proclamation and discussed recent antisemitic acts that he’s been victimized by and witnessed.
Rosenbaum said that copious Islanders have asked him what the city can do regarding antisemitism on the Island.
“I think that passing this tonight is one thing that we can do. This puts us in line with over 30 states, 1,200 cities, three different U.S. administrations,” he said. “I’m very concerned about and cognizant of what folks have said tonight and I think that this is obviously an ongoing conversation and we’re not gonna solve anything here tonight, but I do think that this is a step forward and I encourage my colleagues to support it.”
Council passed the proclamation, 6-1, and councilmember Craig Reynolds explained why he cast the lone no vote: He wants everyone to feel safe and welcome on the Island. He partially mirrored Bahng’s sentiment regarding the IHRA definition, and subsequently had one of his amendments unanimously passed by council to include additional IHRA wording in the proclamation.
Councilmember Jake Jacobson, who proposed the proclamation, appreciated Reynolds’ contribution and said the amendment “goes some distance to meet the conflation problems that people have.”
After thanking the speakers for sharing their thoughtful perspectives, Reynolds added: “I also want to note that I’m unalterably opposed to antisemitism, racism and other forms of hate. These things have no place in our community or our country.”
In the city’s proclamation, it delves into the IHRA definition, noting that it “provides a clear and comprehensive description of antisemitism in its various forms, including but not limited to its rhetorical and physical manifestations directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and their property, community institutions, and religious facilities. The IHRA definition includes examples of contemporary antisemitism in public life, the media, schools, the workplace, and the religious sphere and offers guidance on identifying instances of antisemitism effectively.”
Jacobson believes that the IHRA definition works best for the city as it stands up against antisemitism on the Island, which has one of the state’s largest Jewish populations, the Stroum Jewish Community Center, synagogues and Jewish schools that serve the broader Jewish community in the region.
“We’ll continue to support our Jewish neighbors and friends as well as the full community,” Mayor Salim Nice said at the meeting. “When we see something, we’ll say something.”
Legislative District 41 state senate candidate Jaskaran Singh Sarao said in a press release that he fully endorses the IHRA definition of antisemitism: “Thank you to the Mercer Island City Council for their leadership and dedication to protecting all members of our community. This action not only supports our Jewish residents but also sets a powerful example for other cities to follow.”
To view the proclamation, visit https://library.municode.com/wa/mercer_island/munidocs/munidocs?nodeId=70f20f21d0787
