AJC Urges Seattle to Act on Threats to Jewish Candidate

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Jun 11, 2019, 16:49 ET

SEATTLE, June 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- American Jewish Committee (AJC) is urging Seattle leaders to condemn anti-Semitic threats against Ari Hoffman, a candidate for city council, and initiate steps to identify and prosecute those responsible for these hate crimes.

"Noxious threats against any candidate for elected office and his family are abhorrent, even more so when the venomous rhetoric is blatantly anti-Semitic," said AJC Seattle Director Regina Friedland.

Hoffman and his family have been the subject of threatening postings on the notorious internet site 8chan, according to MEMRI, as well as on social media sites, ahead of the August 6 primary.

"Inaction has consequences," said Friedland. "Whatever one may think about Mr. Hoffman's policy positions on local Seattle issues, inserting his faith, or the State of Israel, into the discourse should be rebuked as out of bounds."

Friedland called on Mayor Jenny Durkan to condemn unequivocally, without delay, the ongoing threats against Hoffman and his family, and for law enforcement authorities to initiate a criminal investigation into the threats.

Last month, the Seattle Office of City Auditor issued a new report on hate crimes in the city that showed an increase of nearly 25% over 2017.

AJC is a non-partisan organization that neither supports nor endorses candidates for elected office.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee