What it is about
A week after Seattle police did not classify vandalism at a local Holocaust museum as a hate crime, seven Holocaust centers across the United States issued a joint statement condemning the act as “straightforwardly antisemitic.”
Why it matters
This incident underscores ongoing concerns about antisemitism manifesting under the pretext of political ideology regarding Israel. Holocaust centers are emphasizing the importance of recognizing and countering such acts as part of their mission to educate about historic and modern antisemitism.
Background
On June 18, the Holocaust Center for Humanity in Seattle was vandalized with the phrase “Genocide in Gaza” written over a photograph of a child Holocaust survivor. The Seattle Police Department designated the act as a “non-criminal bias incident motivated by political ideology,” noting the graffiti was written in pen and could be wiped off without lasting damage or considerable expense.
The Joint Statement
Seven Holocaust centers, including major institutes in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, and St. Petersburg, FL, released a joint statement declaring:
“The senseless scapegoating of Jews did not begin or end with the Holocaust. It’s been happening for thousands of years, and while the pretext may change, the antisemitic motivation is the same.”
Key Quotes
“The senseless scapegoating of Jews did not begin or end with the Holocaust. It’s been happening for thousands of years, and while the pretext may change, the antisemitic motivation is the same,” said the leaders in their statement.
The centers also added, “Holding Jews – much less a Holocaust museum – responsible for the wartime actions of a foreign government is unacceptable and straightforwardly antisemitic.”
What They’re Saying
Seattle’s Holocaust Center for Humanity’s CEO, Dee Simon, clarified that despite considering the graffiti antisemitic, the museum agreed with police that it did not meet the hate crime threshold due to the unknown perpetrator’s motivations and the removable nature of the graffiti. Simon added, “I wish the person who sprayed the graffiti on our building would have taken the time to learn the lessons shared in our museum.”
Broader Context
This incident occurs amidst escalating tensions and antisemitic acts. Synagogues and Jewish centers nationwide are increasingly targeted; Vancouver to L.A. have seen violence and vandalism linked to protests over the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Additional Cases
In Detroit, the local Holocaust museum faced controversy for removing a survivor from its speaker series after he joined an anti-Zionist protest. Meanwhile, a Seattle-area exhibit on antisemitism was delayed following a workers’ walkout over the material’s perceived “Zionist perspectives,” leading to concerns about safety and venue changes.
This story was first published on timesofisrael.com.