一群麻州猶太居民發信譴責「打擊反猶太主義特別委員會」

             (Boston Orange摘譯) 一群麻州猶太居民11月13日發佈消息，聲稱有1200多麻州猶太居民已簽署一封信，譴責「打擊反猶太主義特別委員會（Special Commission on Combatting Antisemitism）」把反猶主義「武器化」，以保護猶太人為名義，限制言論自由和公民權利。

            這封信聲明，猶太居民們雖然致力消除麻州內的反猶太主義，但不同意「打擊反猶太主義特別委員會」的做法，認為那可能助長聯邦當局的威權措施。

           他們相信，不論他們對猶太人復國主義，以色列如何定義反猶太主義的看法有分歧，但他們都同意猶太人的安全不應該以犧牲公民權利與自由為代價。只有在一個平等保護所有人的權利和福祉的國家中，他們才更安全。

        他們表示，作為麻州猶太居民，他們看到自己的猶太身份被用來鎮壓大學，中小學及工會內的的民權，言論自由，學術自由，損害了所有人的國家經濟和憲法權利。他們呼籲民選官員和學校領導，拒絕以“打擊反猶太主義”為幌子，為那些攻擊行為辯護。

           他們還認為，該委員會正在支持許多川普政府用來恐嚇和懲罰持不同政治觀點師生的論述和政策。

Massachusetts Jews say stop weaponizing our identity.

 

As Jewish residents of Massachusetts, we see our Jewish identities being used to crack down on universities, K-12 education, civil rights, immigrants, free speech, teachers, academic freedom, unions, and more. The resulting damage to individuals, institutions, the state economy, and constitutional rights endangers all residents of the Commonwealth. We call on our elected officials and school leaders to reject attempts to justify these attacks under the guise of fighting antisemitism.

 

We are a diverse community of Jews – Americans, Israelis, and others; young and old; students, educators, lawyers, doctors, health care workers, engineers, rabbis, and more. We differ on many issues, but we are united in the belief that regardless of our views on Zionism, Israel, and how to define antisemitism, we agree that Jewish safety should not come at the expense of our civil liberties and that we are safer in a state that protects the rights and wellbeing of all people equally.

 

We applaud effective strategies to fight antisemitism and all forms of bigotry. That is why we have deep concerns about the Massachusetts Special Commission on Combatting Antisemitism. Led by State Senator John Velis and State Representative Simon Cataldo, this Commission has promoted a narrow view of Jewishness that prioritizes Israel’s reputation over the collective interests and security of the Massachusetts Jewish community. The Special Commission’s K-12 recommendations endorse many of the narratives and policies that Trump employs to intimidate and punish teachers and students for their political views, thereby feeding into today’s climate of surveillance and repression. These policies erase and silence thousands of Massachusetts Jews and signal to the public that to be Jewish is to identify with Israel and its actions, a message which itself will increase antisemitism.

 

We urge our school boards, superintendents, and higher education administrators to reject the Commission’s non-binding recommendations, several of which undermine education and endanger Jews among others who want to exercise their constitutionally protected rights.

 

Through centuries of struggle, we have learned that Jews – like all of our neighbors – are safest when the fight for our rights also safeguards the rights of all people. We call on our elected officials to honor the full range of Jewish voices in the Commonwealth. We call on our elected officials to protect all Massachusetts residents from the federal government’s authoritarian turn.