Seattle museum staff walk out over antisemitism exhibit, forcing its early closure

Approximately 30 Seattle museum staff members forced the new exhibit  “Confronting Hate Together’’ into early closure after they orchestrated a Wednesday walkout, claiming the exhibit conflated anti-Zionism with antisemitism, the New York Post reported on Sunday.

The museum staffers constituted almost half of the workers attending to the Wing Luke Museum.

The exhibit closed the same day it opened, on Wednesday. 

“Zionism has no place in our communities and being anti-Zionist goes hand in hand with our own liberation as AA/NHPI,” wrote the staffers engaging in the walkout. “Our solidarity with Palestine should be reflected in our AA/NHPI institutions.”

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A post shared by Wing Luke Museum Workers (@wlm4palestine)

The Jewish Historical Society commenced the exhibit by explaining “Today, antisemitism is often disguised as anti-Zionism.”

Jewish institutions and individuals, around the globe, have been subjected to an increased number of antisemitic attacks and incidents since October 7; when Hamas invaded Israel and killed over 1200 people. In some cases, pro-Palestinian messages have been vandalized on to Jewish institutions.

Despite many experts, including the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, highlighting the intersection between antisemitism and anti-Zionism, the workers insisted that the museum remove any language from the exhibit that “attempt[s] to frame Palestinian liberation and anti-Zionism as antisemitism,” acknowledges its “limited perspectives,” conduct a community review of it and “center voices and perspectives that align with the museum’s mission and values.”

"What is happening in Palestine directly reflects violent colonization and imperialism that has and continues to impact Asian American, Native American and Pacific Islander (AA/NHP) diaspora for generations,” the group wrote online. “Our Museum’s exhibits, education and programs have brought together communities, shared hard histories and conversations and helped create joy and light among the darkness of what AA/NHPI diaspora often feel and experience.”

Museum defends staff walkouts 

The museum later issued a statement in support of its staff. “Members of Wing Luke Museum’s staff held a respectful walk-out in protest of content on display in a new exhibit,” the museum said. “As an organization rooted in dialogue, we acknowledge and support the right of our staff to express their beliefs and personal truths and to this end, we are holding space for a careful and thoughtful process of listening with intent to hear multiple perspectives in pursuit of a mutual way forward.

“After closing the Museum this week to listen and earnestly engage in dialog with our staff, the Museum looks forward to opening our doors at a future date so that we can continue serving our community in other needed capacities during this time. Please look for updates from us.”