Cries of Anti-Semitism, but Not at Zuccotti Park
Cries of Anti-Semitism, but Not at Zuccotti Park
By Joseph Berger
Published: October 21, 2011
Among the hodgepodge of signs that have sprouted in Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan, one man in jeans and a baseball cap has been carrying placards that shout their suggestions: ‘Google: Jewish Billionaires’ and ‘Google: Zionists control Wall St.’
A protester lifting a Torah on Thursday night as part of a Simchat Torah celebration across from Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan. (Michael Kirby Smith for The New York Times)
At the same time, among the sea of tarps under which protesters have been sleeping, a sukkah, a makeshift hut, was erected to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
The movement is not about Jews; it’s not about Israel. It’s about ‘the economy, stupid’ — Abe Foxman (ADL)
The Occupy Wall Street protests, now in their second month, have increasingly been criticized by a variety of groups, most of them politically conservative, for flashes of anti-Semitism. Among those calling attention to the issue have been the Republican National Committee, Rush Limbaugh and the columnist William Kristol.
But the protests have also, on occasion, had a distinctly Jewish flavor: The encampment has coincided with the busy Jewish holiday season and has witnessed, in its midst or on its edges, a crowded Kol Nidre service on Yom Kippur, festive dancing with a scroll on Simchat Torah on Thursday night, and the sukkah.
The protesters, clustered together in a kind of ad hoc Athenian democracy in the canyons of Lower Manhattan, firmly deny that their demonstrations against corporate greed and the political power of banks exhibit antagonism that singles out Jews.
Related:
ADL Calls On ‘Occupy Wall Street’ Organizers To Condemn Anti-Semitic Remarks Made At Rallies
New York, NY, October 17, 2011 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today called on organizers, participants and supporters of the worldwide “Occupy Wall Street” movement to condemn anti-Semitic signs and comments that have appeared at some of the protest rallies across the country and around the world.
Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:
We are seeing some individuals holding anti-Semitic signs at the “Occupy Wall Street” rallies, and some videos posted on YouTube from the rallies have shown individuals expressing classic anti-Semitic beliefs such as “Jews control the banks” and “Jews control Wall Street.” While we believe that these expressions are not representative of the larger views of the OWS movement, it is still critical for organizers, participants and supporters of these rallies to condemn such bigoted statements clearly and forcefully.
There is no evidence that these anti-Semitic conspiracy theories are representative of the larger movement or that they are gaining traction with other participants. However, history demonstrates time and again how economic downturns can embolden anti-Semites to spread malicious conspiracy theories and promote stereotypes about Jews and money. As a consequence, these statements must not be left unchallenged.
The League continues to monitor the tenor and messages at the demonstrations to ensure that they do not get hijacked by extremists or anti-Semitic elements.