By Adam Pagnucco.
Council Member Andrew Friedson is one of the county’s most prominent elected officials. CASA is one of the county’s most prominent interest groups and depends on the state and county governments for a large chunk of its budget. Normally, when parties like this disagree, they do so politely and, if possible, quietly.
Not this time.
The Israel-Hamas war originated overseas and this site does not cover international affairs. However, I have previously published on its impact on county politics three times:
October 11: The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington (JCRC) and the Anti-Defamation League of Washington DC protested against MCPS’s response to Hamas’s attack on Israeli civilians.
October 13: Friedson wrote a guest column about Hamas’s attacks.
November 6: Delegate Gabriel Acevero claimed that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza.
The issue has not stopped there. CASA, an immigrant rights group established in Montgomery County many years ago and a major recipient of state and county funds, weighed in on the conflict in Gaza on Twitter. The tweets have been deleted but a reader forwarded them. They were also released as a statement. The tweets and statement are reprinted below.
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Statement by Gustavo Torres
CASA Executive Director
November 6, 2023
CASA stands in resolute and steadfast solidarity with the people of Palestine in their relentless fight for freedom. We stand shoulder to shoulder with countless Black and brown freedom activists from around the world. We specifically condemn the utilization of US tax dollars to promote the ongoing violence. We call for an immediate ceasefire to save all precious life and halt the systematic ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.
Like much of the world, we join in condemning the outrageous attack by Hamas in Israel. Our hearts go out to the innocent children and families caught in the midst of this horrendous conflict.
We also reject the notion that any act of violence can ever justify the heinous practice of terror currently unleashed by Israel in Gaza, including on refugee camps, medical and UN aid workers, and more.
As we dedicate ourselves to building a world where our community can live free from discrimination and fear, we deeply acknowledge the interconnectedness of the struggle for the liberation of the Palestinian people and Black and brown communities in the United States. Our shared and unwavering commitment is to foster humanity, safety, and lasting peace throughout the entire region while confronting the historical oppression that demands urgent redress.
Finally, we strongly support the struggle for decolonization, affirming the rights of Indigenous peoples and historically colonized nations to reclaim their land. The Palestinian struggle mirrors our own; with many CASA members fleeing governments and countries wrecked by the damage of US economic and political intervention.
We firmly assert: free Palestine NOW!
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CASA’s statement provoked this response from Council Member Andrew Friedson, who has previously stated his views on the Israel-Hamas war on our site.
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November 6, 2023
Statement from Council Vice-President Andrew Friedson
The inflammatory and inaccurate statement by CASA is deeply offensive and hurtful. While the tweets have since been deleted, the statement demonstrated a divisive disregard for the Jewish community who have been steadfast partners in countless of the organization’s efforts to support immigrants in our community over the years. Using antisemitic language that denies Jews as being indigenous to their own ancestral homeland and failing to recognize that over half of Israel’s population are people of color, CASA inexplicably failed to recognize the connection so many Jews have to CASA’s mission and to their own homeland as a people who have been systematically persecuted and forced to flee countless countries for over 2,000 years.
While I appreciate CASA’s dedication to “building a world where our community can live free from discrimination and fear,” their statement suggests that Jews – and especially Jews of color – have no place in that community. We must be able to advocate for Palestinian lives without diminishing the existence of Jewish lives. We can question government policies and decisions without denying rights to existence and self-determination. We must mourn all innocent lives lost and recognize each loss as a tragedy.
I hope CASA will formally retract the statement and use this painful misstep as a learning opportunity to engage with Jewish community leaders and organizations to repair the damage and avoid future pain.
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As I mentioned above, CASA depends on state and county tax dollars for a significant part of its budget. Its 2021 Form 990 filing with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service reports revenues of $25.7 million for the year ended 6/30/22, of which $4.9 million came from government grants and $11.3 million came from government contracts. At least some of that money may be at risk. One elected official told me, “CASA’s virulently antisemitic statement will have dire consequences for them in both Rockville and Annapolis. We cannot and will not subsidize hate with taxpayer dollars.”