Twenty-six employees of the Wing Luke Museum in Seattle walked out to protest the upcoming "Stand Together Against Hate" exhibition, scheduled to open next week.
On a collective pro-Palestinian account, museum staff posted a statement criticizing the exhibition as an example of the "serious negative impact that Zionist ideology has on our society."
"Stand Together Against Hate" is organized by the Jewish Historical Society of Washington in collaboration with the Washington State Black Heritage Society. The exhibition aims to highlight forms of hatred directed at Jewish, Asian, and Black communities in America.
The employee protest was sparked by a wall inscription announcing the exhibition: “Today, antisemitism is often disguised as anti-Zionism.” The text also referenced the "Stop Killing" graffiti that appeared on a synagogue in Mercer Island, Washington, last November, with the comment: "If only the Jews of Mercer Island could control the actions of the Israeli government." Additionally, it noted that "on college campuses, pro-Palestinian protesters expressed support for Hamas (which the US government classifies as a terrorist organization) and the idea of a Palestinian state from the river to the sea, which would involve the destruction of Israel."
Museum workers urged the administration to remove such language, arguing it "attempts to portray Palestinian liberation and anti-Zionism as antisemitism." They also felt the exhibition ignored the rights of Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims.
In response to the employee strike, the museum issued an official statement: “As an organization dedicated to dialogue, we recognize and support the right of our employees to express their beliefs and personal opinions, and we are ready to hear different points of view.”
