05/28/2026
The Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts responsed to the Town of Amherst, MA Councilor's Statement on Nakba Day as reported in The Amherst Indy:
Toward a Local Governance of Inclusion, Not Division
It was reported in the May 20th edition of the Amherst Indy, that at the May 18 Town Council meeting, several of our councilors issued a statement commemorating Nakba Remembrance Day. It is entirely appropriate—indeed, it is vital—for a community as diverse and compassionate as Amherst to acknowledge the deep historical trauma, grief, and ongoing pain felt by our Palestinian neighbors. The human suffering currently unfolding in the Middle East is devastating, and the desire of our elected officials to express solidarity with those who are hurting comes from a place of deeply felt empathy.
However, the language, context and framing chosen for this statement raises a critical question about the role of municipal governance in times of global crisis. When local officials adopt highly polarized, one-sided characterizations of a profoundly complex international conflict, they risk alienating other members of our community who are carrying their own immense generational and immediate trauma.
The council’s statement understandably highlights the catastrophic displacement of Palestinians in 1948. Yet, by isolating this event from its broader historical context—including the foundational context of the Holocaust, the United Nations partition plan, and the simultaneous, and violent expulsion of nearly a million Jewish people from Arab nations during the very same era, the narrative becomes exclusionary rather than educational. Characterizing the complex history of Israel solely through the lens of "atrocities" ignores the reality of a nation built by refugees that has faced existential threats from its very inception.
More importantly, it impacts our neighbors here at home. Amherst is home to Jewish and Israeli residents who have spent the last several years watching the rise of global antisemitism with acute fear. Many have loved ones who were victims of the horrific violence of October 7, 2023, the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.
Furthermore, to understand the profound anxiety felt by Israeli and Jewish members of our community, one must acknowledge the harrowing daily reality Israel faces: a state under constant bombardment from almost every direction. Over the past few years, tens of thousands of rockets, missiles, and drones have been launched at Israeli towns and cities by hostile actors spanning multiple fronts—including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and direct strikes from Iran. This relentless barrage has displaced over one hundred thousand Israeli civilians from their homes, shattered daily life, and inflicted deep, continuous trauma on an entire nation.
When our local government issues proclamations that utilize inflammatory language without acknowledging these harsh realities, the trauma, and the fundamental security fears of the Jewish state, it signals to a segment of our town that their grief and their vulnerabilities are invisible to their elected representatives.
Tying complex international military defense spending to local municipal budget challenges is also a rhetorical stretch that misrepresents how local government works. The difficult choices our towns face regarding schools, roads, and services are structural local issues, not the result of Federal foreign policy. Suggesting otherwise distracts from the tangible, constructive work we must do together to strengthen Amherst's infrastructure.
True progressive leadership does not require us to choose one community’s pain over another's. It demands that we expand our circle of empathy to encompass both. The role of the Amherst Town Council should not be to adjudicate complex international conflicts or pass resolutions that mirror partisan talking points. Rather, its role is to ensure that every resident—regardless of their background, heritage, or faith—feels safe, valued, and heard within the town borders.
Let us remember history, the entire history and let us mourn for all who are affected by the ravages of this ongoing conflict. But let us do so in a way that brings Amherst together. We can support grieving Palestinian neighbors while simultaneously affirming the rights, history, safety, and acute trauma of our Jewish and Israeli neighbors.
In a world deeply fractured by conflict, let our local community be a place of nuance, mutual respect, and shared humanity.
