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As a rabbi who has known Taher Herzallah for five years, I’m writing in response to “Mpls. teachers union event criticized over anti-Israel speaker” (Nov. 21). The attempt by Mayor Jacob Frey and the Jewish Community Relations Committee to censor education about Palestine by aligning with right-wing media groups that have taken Herzallah’s words out of context is disgraceful. I call on our community’s so-called leadership to apologize for their unprincipled denigration of Herzallah.
I first met Herzallah as part of a multifaith campaign to counter the antisemitic and Islamophobic group Christians United for Israel’s conference in 2019. I learned so much from his clarity on organizing for justice in Palestine, rooted in freedom and safety for all people. We have connected about how our religious practices inspire our work for justice. Herzallah and I are clear that Zionism — which claims Jewish safety requires a nation-state where Jews have more rights than others — is a political movement that must be condemned, that Jews are a politically diverse group and that we can work together across faith lines for justice. In November 2023, I had the honor of speaking on a panel with him. In the midst of grieving members of his family killed in Gaza, he was kind, connecting and steadfast in his commitment to working together for justice.
I applaud MFT Educators for Palestine for learning from a range of voices, and hearing from directly impacted people like Herzallah. The mayor’s callous and irresponsible parroting of the JCRC’s hateful rhetoric undermines Muslim-Jewish relations at a time when our solidarity is more important than ever. I look forward to working with Herzallah for years to come.
Jessica Rosenberg, Minneapolis
The writer is a member of the Rabbinical Council of Jewish Voice for Peace.
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