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Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) Chief Government Affairs Officer Lisa Katz issued the following statement on Thursday on the recent installation of former Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan as president of the Rotary Club of Orange County L.A., a move that has drawn Jewish communal objections over past social media posts by Khan promoting the antisemitic blood libel:
Rotary International’s motto is “Service Above Self.” Former Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan’s record makes a mockery of that motto, and she should not be leading the Rotary Club of Orange County L.A.
Kahn has accused Jews of pedophilia and cannibalism which is a modern rendering of the blood libel, one of the most ancient and dangerous antisemitic tropes. It clearly meets the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism, and it is the opposite of service to a diverse community that includes Jewish members and neighbors.
Rotary also holds its leaders to the Four-Way Test — Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? The blood libel fails every part of that test. There is no version of “Service Above Self” that includes elevating someone who has spread a conspiracy theory that has incited violence against Jews. The two are not compatible, and Rotary cannot claim both at once.
Having served a decade in local government myself, I know elected officials carry their record with them long after they leave office. We demand that Rotary leadership reverse this appointment. An organization whose entire identity rests on service and goodwill cannot install someone with this record at the head of one of its chapters and still call itself “Service Above Self.”
