‘The threat is real’: Easthampton council takes stand against antisemitism with wide-ranging resolution
EASTHAMPTON — At a poignant City Council meeting on Wednesday evening, residents and councilors came together to share stories of antisemitism, hatred and hope in expressing their support for a resolution against antisemitism, which passed unanimously.
Resident Rachel Achmad shared that her circle of loved ones have feared for their safety and felt the impacts of antisemitic sentiment since Hamas’s attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
“A friend of mind no longer wears her star of David necklace outside of the house for fear of being targeted,” Achmad said, adding that another friend’s daughter has received antisemitic messages on her online dating profile; and her own daughter has a friend who was asked by her Uber driver if she was Jewish, to which she felt compelled to lie and say no out of fear.