Women’s March Leader Shares Post Blaming Jewish Establishment For Mosque Attack
Women’s March organizer Bob Bland speaks on stage with her children during the Women’s March on January 19, 2019 in Washington, DC. Image by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
(JTA) — A co-leader of the Women’s March shared a post blaming the “American Jewish Establishment” for its role in the attacks on two New Zealand mosques, and then apologized.
Bob Bland on March 17 shared a post from Jesse Rabinowitz, a social justice advocate, who wrote that: “The same language and hate that folks spew against Sisters Linda Sarsour and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) killed 54 Muslims in New Zealand. You can’t stand in solidarity with the Muslim community and simultaneously disavow Muslim women for speaking their truths. American Jewish Establishment, I’m looking at you.”
The share was not accompanied by any additional statement from Bland.
In the comments section, a follower called out Bland for suggesting that “that you cannot feel sympathy for the tragedy that happened if you do not agree with Linda and Ilana.” The comment also added: “My biggest fear that the entire purpose of your post was to somehow insult or shame Jews.”
Bland apologized saying that “it has come to my attention that some people are upset that I shared Jesse’s post. I was juggling 2 kids on a Sunday + not being mindful. I’m sorry. I do agree with the first 2 sentences that Jesse said, except I would extend it to all establishment politicians of both parties, of any or no faith. Words matter and I should have clarified.”
The Zioness movement also posted a screenshot of Bland’s share, writing: “The Women’s March, Inc. is attacking Jews again. Somehow, we still aren’t desensitized to their never-ending cycle of deeply anti-Semitic slurs.”
“Calling out antisemitism is not bigotry against Muslims. We’ve witnessed this enough times: the zero-sum game these women are playing literally leads to horror. Jews and Muslims are in fact targeted by the same heinous actors within the white nationalist movement across the globe, which is why Jews and Muslims of conscience have come together in solidarity during crises like we witnessed in Christchurch and in Pittsburgh.”
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
