Dear King County Bar Association Board of Trustees,
We write to you from StandWithUs, an international, non-profit organization with the mission of educating about Israel and combatting antisemitism. On behalf of StandWithUs, thank you for your public apology and corrective action after your Bar Bulletin’s apparently unauthorized decision to publish Dua Abudiab’s “From the River to the Sea,” a blatantly anti-Israel work that attacked Zionism, which is an integral component of identity for most Jews.
Now more than ever, in the wake of Hamas’ massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023, it is critical that organizations such as yours do what they can to prevent the normalization of anti-Zionist antisemitism and instead to include the voices of and interests of Jews and Israelis. As Israelis and Jews around the world continue to mourn their losses and face surmounting bigotry worldwide, including antisemitic discrimination, harassment and attacks in rising numbers, your public commitment to ensuring that this never happen again shows reassuring moral leadership and guidance for all your members.
We thank you for your efforts to restore the “diverse and collegial” environment referenced in your mission, and we look forward to this environment including Jewish and Israeli members for years to come.
The work of our organization focuses on educating about matters related to antisemitism and engaging in both proactive and responsive efforts to combat it. To that end, we regularly host CLE workshops for attorneys and provide guidance on how to identify and respond to antisemitism. We hope that you will let us know how our partnership may be useful to you.
Sincerely,
Roz Rothstein Yael Lerman
CEO and Co-Founder, StandWithUs (SWU) Director, SWU Saidoff Legal Department
Carly F. Gammill Randy Kessler
Director, SWU Center for Combating Antisemitism Regional Director, SWU Northwest
