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City of Great Falls, Montana, Issues Moving Resolution Backing Jews in Whitefish Assailed by Neo-Nazis

‘To those who would promote these false ideas long since rejected by civilized peoples, we say, ‘le’olam lo’—Never again!’

by
Yair Rosenberg
January 10, 2017
(Facebook)—
The northwest part of the Flathead Valley near Whitefish, Montana. (Facebook)(Facebook)—
(Facebook)—
The northwest part of the Flathead Valley near Whitefish, Montana. (Facebook)(Facebook)—

As you’ve probably heard, neo-Nazi website editor Andrew Anglin has called for a march against the Jewish population of Whitefish, Montana, on Jan. 16, MLK Day. In the face of significant public outcry and his own inability to file for basic permits, Anglin is now hedging on whether the march will even take place this month. Meanwhile, others are lining up in solidarity with the Jews of Whitefish.

Last week, the governing officials of the nearby city of Great Falls, Montana, authored a remarkable resolution in support of their neighbors in Whitefish. Citing George Washington’s famous letter to the Jews of Newport—in which the American founder promised to give “bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance”—and Pastor Martin Niemöller’s famous anti-Nazi poem recounting how “they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out,” the city officials vowed to stand with embattled Jews.

“Recent events in our sister city of Whitefish, Montana, remind us that the plagues of anti-Semitism, ethnic and racial hate, and intolerance remain a stain on an otherwise decent society,” the resolution opened. “We join our Montana Congressional Delegation, elected state leaders, the Whitefish City Council, our Jewish neighbors, representatives of the broader faith community, and all citizens, in denouncing hate, bigotry, and intolerance, which today masquerade under euphemisms such as ‘white nationalism’ and the ‘alt-right’; and … we express our solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the ongoing struggle to free this world of the ideas and conduct that serve to undermine a free and virtuous society.”

“To those who would promote these false ideas long since rejected by civilized peoples,” it concluded, “we say, ‘le’olam lo’—‘Never again!’”

The declaration was signed by Great Falls Mayor Bob Kelly and several city commissioners.

Read the full resolution below:

Yair Rosenberg is a senior writer at Tablet. Subscribe to his newsletter, listen to his music, and follow him on Twitter and Facebook.