A suburb of Portland, Maine removed a Star of David from its annual holiday lights display. A local Arab-American organization complained and called it “offensive.” The reason is the Israel-Hamas war.

How convenient for the normalization of antisemitic sentiments. Unlike most Arab countries, there is religious freedom in America. There is, however, a separation between church and state. Mayor Michael Foley is using the excuse of the Constitution’s Establishment Clause for the removal. Religious displays are forbidden on public property.

Here is the kicker – local Jewish groups agreed and want the Star of David removed and replaced with a series of dreidels to represent Hanukkah. The mayor threw a city employee under the bus along the way.

“I think it was all positive intent to just try and be more inclusive,” Mayor Michael Foley said, adding that, since the story broke in local media, he had been fielding calls from people accusing him of antisemitism. “There’s been no ill intention by it. It was simply an honest mistake and it was never included on our display.”

Foley said the star had been ordered by a city employee without his knowledge. He added, “I still don’t truly understand” why the local Arab group, the New England Arab American Organization, had complained about it.

“They view it as the city taking a side in the war, we’re supporting one country over another,” Foley said about the group that objected to the symbol. The organization did not respond to JTA requests for comment.

The Star of David has been used by Jewish communities since the 17th century. It is the centerpiece of the Israeli flag, adopted in October 1948. It is a widely-recognized symbol of the Jewish faith by Jews and non-Jews. I understand that dreidels are a non-religious symbol, but so, too, can be the Star of David. The town didn’t put up the Israeli flag in lights. That would have been showing support for Israel. It’s no wonder the mayor doesn’t understand the objection taken by the Arab-American group.

This is a battle that has taken place for many years. The display of religious symbols triggers many people during the holiday season. Hanukkah and Christmas are celebrated at about the same time in December. Both celebrations should be honored. Christmas is a federal holiday, as well as a religious holiday. That is where the rub comes in for many of us. Why shouldn’t a Star of David or a Nativity scene be displayed on public property? It’s a reasonable question. If both are displayed, it isn’t showing a preference for either.

As the debate around Israel and Gaza has remained heated since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and Israel’s ensuing war on the terror group in Gaza, even public displays have not been immune to the war. Earlier this week the University of Texas in Dallas removed “spirit rocks” that had been fixtures on campus for years because, administrators said, students were using them to paint increasingly aggressive messages about Israel, Gaza and the Palestinians.

But the presence (or lack thereof) of Jewish symbols in city holiday displays is a much older issue, one that has been litigated before the U.S. Supreme Court. A 1989 case found that the public display of a Nativity scene in a Pittsburgh courthouse was not permissible because it could be interpreted as the city promoting one religion over another, but that the display of a Chabad-Lubavitch menorah was allowed because the city demonstrated pluralism by pairing it with a Christmas tree.

Westbrook, which has a population of around 20,000, does not have any synagogues. A menorah may be added to the town’s display and a local church has offered to display a Star of David on its property. The mayor said he will follow local Jewish guidance on the matter.

In London this year, the Israel-Hamas war is being blamed for opposition to the annual Hanukkah Menorah event. So, it was canceled. But, now it is back on. Kinda.

London cancels its annual Hanukkah Menorah event over “community tension concerns”

These aren’t “tensions”

One side wants to physically hurt the other on the streets of London pic.twitter.com/xgL1drqIwl

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) November 30, 2023

There is a “pause” in the Chanukah Menorah installation at the Town Hall. The Havering Council released a statement.

“The Council has taken the difficult decision to pause the planned installation of the Chanukah Menorah outside Havering Town Hall this year.

“We appreciate this is a hugely sensitive issue but in light of escalating tensions from the conflict in the Middle East, installing the candelabra now will not be without risk to the Council, our partners, staff, and residents.

“We would also be concerned with any possible vandalism or other action against the installation.

“There will still be a temporary installation and event to celebrate the beginning of Hanukkah. This will be taken down after the event and we will look at a longer-term installation next year.

“However, due to an increase in the number of hate crimes in Havering, both towards the Jewish and Muslim communities, and after consulting with the Leader of the Council, we believe it would be unwise to move forward with the installation, which could risk further inflaming tensions within our communities.

“When we started work on the installation no one could have foreseen the recent international events and we have been fully committed to installing the candelabra with a number of council teams working to support it.

“Sadly, there are some who are politicizing this and making accusations of anti-Semitism. This is categorically untrue and such statements are likely to incite further unrest in our communities.

The Council said the Israeli flag was flown after the massacres of October 7 when Hamas started the war with Israel. Support of Israel continues and of the local Jewish communities.

The Israel-Hamas war is used as a reason to eliminate recognition of Hanukkah this year. Instead of silencing Jews and their celebration of Hanukkah in public, town councils should stand up and allow the displays, as one Rabbi noted.

Nevertheless, Romford Rabbi Lee Sunderland told Havering Daily, “This is an opportunity to stand up to the hostility that would silence Judaism or any form of diversity and celebrate it to its fullest. This may be a Jewish festival, but it is a lesson for the whole world and every generation. Most especially, please let us celebrate this in public and begin to bring the citizens of Havering together now.”

The violence shown by the anti-Israel demonstrators is undeniable. Appeasing it, though, will not stop it. The hatemongers will continue to make demands. Reasonable people have to stand up and be strong against antisemitism in all forms.