While most of the media in the city, nationally, and internationally covering the Worcester city council meeting Feb. 11 focused on the council’s designation of the city as a sanctuary for trans and gender diverse people, they missed another, equally important story. A couple city councilors, Thu Nguyen and Etel Haxhiaj, along with their allies, have created a sanctuary for antisemites.
Antisemitic hecklers
At the meeting, Moe Bergman, the city’s only Jewish council member, was interrupted several times by Haxhiaj and Nguyen allies. In one instance, hecklers shouted that Bergman is a “fascist.” This is particularly offensive, given that Bergman is the son of two Holocaust survivors. Would these people call a descendant of slaves a “slavemaster” if they disagreed with what that person had to say?
The comments came as the council was discussing the resolution to designate Worcester a sanctuary for transgender people. Bergman, who eventually voted against, was weighing the pros and cons. He noted that the resolution would add no new protections for the trans community, could draw the ire of the Trump administration. Bergman’s worry about unintended consequences drew the ire of the few dozen who showed up to support the resolution.
“Fascist” wasn’t the only – or even the most explicitly antisemitic – slur aimed at Bergman that day. Those in attendance at the meeting have also reported that Bergman was called a “pig” and that another Haxhiaj/Nguyen ally shouted from the balcony in a mock German accent.
One of the most well-known rules of kashrus, Jewish dietary law, is that Jews are forbidden from eating or benefitting from pork. No one calls a Jew a “pig” without antisemitic intent, nor does one shout in a mock German accent, or yell “fascist.”
Rabbi Mendel Fogelman, in a Feb. 13 public letter to city officials, wrote, “The actions witnessed at this meeting not only tarnish the reputation of our city but also send a harmful message to all constituents, particularly the Jewish community.”
Denying the hate
Worcester’s “progressive” leaders, Nguyen and Haxhiaj, have either ignored or even denied the antisemitism. In a local discussion group on Facebook, Rabbi Fogelman’s letter was posted. It garnered nearly 100 responses, most of them from supporters of Haxhiaj/Nguyen denying the antisemitism.
One participant simply wrote, “Nothing anti semitic was said.” Another, Janis, wrote that while she certainly doesn’t “condone any antisemitism” and that she is “sorry that this occurred,” “Bergman has reaped what he has sown.” In other words, it’s the victim’s fault.
None of the antisemitism should surprise anyone. Worcester is a remarkably tolerant city, and its mayor, Joe Petty, is dedicated to ensuring that all residents feel welcome. However, Nguyen and Haxhiaj have long been spreading antisemitism.
A history of supporting extremism
Both Haxhiaj and Nguyen attended a May 3 rally at Worcester State University, ostensibly in support of the Palestinians. However, signs at the rally called for the destruction of Israel “between the river and the sea” and also likened Israel to Nazi Germany. A speaker called for al-Aqsa Mosque to be liberated from “the Jews.”
This speech was in Arabic, but Haxhiaj and Nguyen were made aware of what was said. It was in this blog, but a FOIA request shows that they were asked to comment – and were silent.
Nguyen and Haxhiaj were the only votes against a resolution in Oct. 2023 that said Worcester “prayed” for hostages taken on Oct. 7. They excused their vote by arguing the resolution was not “balanced,” because it didn’t include a mention of the Palestinians. The fact that the hostages included Israeli Arabs, Americans, and others didn’t fase the councilors.
As for balance, neither of these council members are “balanced” in their discussion. They’ve simply chosen a different side of the conflict. Haxhiaj deleted her Twitter/X feed, likely because she realized that it was an electoral liability. The feed was full of support for criminals, including Khalida Jarrar, detained by Israel at the start of the war. Jarrar, of course, is a leader of the People’s Front for the Liberation of Palestine. PFLP is the organizations that carried out the highjacking after highjacking in the late 20th century.According to a 2022 guide published by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, “Two PFLP-affiliated Palestinians attack[ed] Israeli worshippers in a synagogue with guns, knives, and axes, killing five—including three Americans—and injuring 12” in 2014. Working with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the PFLP was a perpetrator of the Oct. 7 massacre.
Nguyen is even more open in support of terror than Haxhiaj. This councilor openly supports Hamas and the Houthis. Nguyen claimed on Instagram that they “acted to stop an active genocide with a partial naval blockade.” That “partial” blockade disrupted nearly 10 percent of world trade. That group Nguyen portrayed as heroic has as part of its slogan, “death to Israel” and “death to America.”
Obviously, the call for “balance” was merely an excuse not to support a resolution supporting Israelis. Both councilors have demonstrated their disdain for Jews and the Jewish state. They illegally disrupted and shut down a city council meeting pushing a resolution that calls for the disarming Israel.
Nguyen, Haxhiaj and their allies, when called on their antisemitism, routinely point to the tiny “Worcester Chavura.” This is a “group of Jews and friends-of-Jews” that formed specifically because mainstream Jewish organizations rejected their ideas. Racists and bigots are always happy to work with people from groups they hate – as long as those individuals are “one of the good ones.”
Moving forward
In its own message supporting Rabbi Fogelman’s letter, the Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts wrote, “We thank Mayor Petty, and Councilors Mero-Carlson, Colorio, Russell, Toomey, and Bergman for their unwavering support through these difficult moments.” These six councilors, ranging from liberal to conservative, represent the majority of the council, as well as the majority of the city. Not all of the other council members are antisemites. Some simply haven’t been as resolute in their opposition. While Worcester remains a tolerant city, the increasing acceptance of antisemitism, represented in Worcester especially by “progressives” like Nguyen and Haxhiaj, is a problem that must be combatted.
Photo copyright Montecruz Foto; used under a Creative Commons copyright.
