City Council Candidate Concerns Seattle Jewish Community
In the absence of an incumbent, a rush of aspirants have thrown their names into the hat to claim the open City Council seat for Seattle’s District 4. Among them is Shaun Scott, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and Bernie Sanders supporter who once worked for U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal. Scott’s unremarkable (for Seattle) platform faithfully follows the progressive party line. According to the District 4 Neighbor’s Facebook page, Scott “admires Kshama Sawant, supports taxpayer funded heroin injection sites, supports the abolishment of single-family zoning, would support the reinstatement of an even steeper head tax, wants to significantly reduce SPD’s budget, and massively increase bike lane infrastructure.”
At a time of rising anti-Semitism and violence against Jews, Scott’s candidacy has attracted the nervous attention of some in Seattle’s Jewish community. In an endorsement seeking interview with the DSA recently published on social media, Scott veers from roads and potholes into foreign policy, “wholly and unequivocally” proclaiming his support for the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Elaborating on his particular animus towards the Jewish state, Scott compares Israel to Apartheid South Africa saying “BDS is the least we could do support the Palestinian people currently suffering under the apartheid state of Israel.”
The vast majority of the American Jewish community supports Israel and opposes the BDS movement. In a Seattle Times op-ed, leaders of the Seattle Jewish Federation assert that “the BDS campaign – flaunts a few adherents from the Jewish community to give it flimsy cover against charges that BDS is anti-Semitic”, concluding that “at its core, BDS is anti-Semitic”. “Make no mistake” say Federation leaders, “the goal of BDS is not to create two, peaceful, sovereign states — Israel and Palestine — but to delegitimize and demonize Israel”.
Scott compares the Jewish state to the Apartheid regime of South Africa in this excerpt from his DSA Interview.
Scott’s enmity extends beyond Israel as he goes on to target Jewish civil rights organizations like the Anti Defamation League (ADL). Scott vocalizes his opposition to the ADL’s human rights and anti-terrorism training programs for US law enforcement agencies which he refers to as “Deadly Exchange“.
In his DSA Interview Scott makes a point of noting his consultations with SUPER UW, an affiliate of the virulently anti-Semitic Students for Justice in Palestine as well as a planned meeting with the anti-Zionist, Jewish Voice for Peace.
Scott targets the ADL’s civil rights training for law enforcement in this excerpt from his DSA Interview.
Primary elections for Seattle City Council will be held on August 6th, 2019 with general elections to be held on November 6, 2019. Shaun Scott is a candidate for City Council District 4, the district comprises the University District, Wallingford, Eastlake, Roosevelt, and Northeast Seattle. Also running for Seattle City Council in District 4 is Alex Pedersen, Ethan Hunter & Emily Meyers.
Thank you so much for this, Mike. Extremely important info and I’m grateful for your input. Will be sharing it with many others! Sincerely, Susan Moon
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Thank you Susan!