Thomas Breen / Jake Dressler photos
Rabbi Gershon Borenstein on Monday: "One act of positivity will far outpace ... what one negative act can do"; a protester on Saturday, climbing the menorah with a Palestinian flag.
Elected officials and faith leaders gathered at the spot where a protester climbed a public menorah and planted a Palestinian flag — and warned that such acts, if not called out, can escalate into violent antisemitic action.
That press conference Monday morning brought together several dozen spectators and official speakers, including Mayor Justin Elicker, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven CEO Gayle Slossberg, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, State Sen. President Pro Tem Martin Looney, and Chabad Lubavitch Rabbi Gershon Borenstein.
Standing before a line of fellow local interfaith leaders and in front of a wall of TV news cameras and reporters, each speaker denounced the actions of a protester on Saturday. The protester who, after marching with hundreds of other pro-Palestinian protesters through the streets of downtown New Haven, climbed the menorah on the Green that had been set up to celebrate Hanukkah, and lodged a Palestinian flag between the candle holders. Other protesters urged him to stop; the flag came down soon thereafter.
Organizers of that march denounced the action as well in a release issued this weekend.
Mayor Elicker (center) at Monday's presser.
Monday’s press conference took place in large part because of a viral video taken by the Independent’s Jake Dressler, who reported on Saturday’s protest and documented the menorah climbing incident.
Elicker and Assistant Police Chief David Zannelli said that city police are still investigating the incident as a potential hate crime, as is the state police’s hate crime investigations unit. They said that, because the menorah was not damaged, vandalized, or stolen, the action likely does not rise to the level of a hate crime, even though it falls into the category of a “hateful incident,” as Zannelli put it.
Despite the widespread internet rumors that this was a Yale student who climbed the menorah, Zannelli said that police do not know who committed this act. He said he could not confirm whether or not the person pictured in the video was a student, at Yale or anywhere else.
The video of the protester climbing the menorah.
Jewish Federation's Gayle Slossberg ..
... with faith leaders and law enforcement on Monday.
“It’s a deeply painful thing to see,” Slossberg said about the video of the protester climbing the menorah and planting the Palestinian flag. “It evokes thousands of years of trauma and pain for the Jewish community. The history of the Jewish people is to experience this trauma and to stand tall, condemn it, and survive.”
“It isn’t a far walk from hate speech to hateful actions,” she continued. “Tonight, when we light our menorahs, may we all use that light to banish the darkness that we’ve seen on the Green.”
Blumenthal said that using a Palestinian flag to “desecrate a religious menorah” is a potential hate crime, if law enforcement determines that the action was done with the intent to incite violence.
Borenstein, whose congregation owns the menorah and erects it every year for Hanukkah in conjunction with the city, urged those celebrating Hanukkah to light a candle each night of the holiday and share that act with friends and family. “One act of positivity will far outpace … what one negative act can do.”
Elicker noted during the press conference that the organizers of Saturday’s pro-Palestine protest have already condemned the menorah climbing and flag planting as well.
On Sunday, the American Muslims for Palestine: Connecticut Chapter posted the following statement on its Instagram page on behalf of Saturday’s event’s organizers, including AMPTCT, We Will Return Palestine, UCONN Students for Justice in Palestine, and Yalies 4 Palestine.
“The organizers of yesterday’s protest in New Haven unequivocally condemn the antisemitic action of an individual unaffiliated with any of the groups present who climbed a menorah and placed a Palestinian flag on it,” that statement reads. “We are appalled by this behavior, and are especially disappointed since it comes during the religious observation of Hanukkah.
“These actions do not align with our goals of promoting respectful dialogue and peaceful advocacy. As organizers, we apologize deeply for the hurt this has caused. Moving forward, we will take further precautions to uphold our commitment to foster an inclusive and respectful environment for all participants.”
Jewish Voice for Peace New Haven also issued a statement on Instagram on Monday in support of the organizers of Saturday’s protest. “We hold the belief that our safety as Jews is linked with the safety and liberation of all people,” that post reads in part.
Click on the video below to watch Monday’s press conference on the Green.
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