Jewish Groups, US Lawmakers Decry Boston-Area ‘BDS Map’ for Promoting Antisemitic Tropes and Inciting Violence

An interactive map published last week by a pro-BDS Boston-area activist collective — featuring names and addresses of local Jewish groups — has been widely condemned for propagating antisemitic tropes and potentially inciting violence.

“Our goal in pursuing this collective mapping was to reveal the local entities and networks that enact devastation, so we can dismantle them,” the Mapping Project said. “Every entity has an address, every network can be disrupted.”

In a joint statement, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, Anti-Defamation League New England, and Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston noted, “Under the guise of an interactive map, the innocuously named ‘Mapping Project’ is promoting a list of Jewish communal organizations in Massachusetts that it contends are ‘responsible for colonization of Palestine or other harms such as policing, US Imperialism and displacement.’”

“Virtually every Jewish organization in the Commonwealth, along with its leadership, is listed in this map along with the relationships of each to civic, governmental, university and other community organizations,” it continued. “Whether those relationships were cultivated by the Jewish institution or the community organization, the underlying messages are clear: Jews are responsible for the ills of our community and if you maintain your relationship with Jewish organizations, you will share that responsibility.”

“But we will not be intimidated and we will not be silent,” the statement declared. “As a Jewish community, and one that has made allyship and outreach the cornerstones of our work, we condemn this demonization of the Boston Jewish community and attack on its relationship with others. This is no thinly veiled attempt to target the Jewish community — it is an explicit one that is keeping lists and naming names.”

Congresswoman Katherine Clark (D-MA) tweeted, “This ‘mapping’ of Jewish people, schools, organizations and academics is alarming and reminiscent of a dangerous history of identifying and tracking Jewish people. These maps have the potential to provoke attacks against the Jewish community. I condemn antisemitism and strongly urge that this map be taken down.”

My response to the “Mapping Project”:@BostonJCRC @CJPBoston @ADL_NewEngland pic.twitter.com/gbhKfVg5Di

— Katherine Clark (@RepKClark) June 9, 2022

Congressman Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) tweeted, “Boston BDS & the Mapping Project are tapping into millennia-old antisemitic tropes. To name names & keep lists, which has a sinister resonance to the targeting of Jews throughout history, is irresponsible. They need to take down the map & apologize.”

Boston BDS & the Mapping Project are tapping into millennia-old antisemitic tropes. To name names & keep lists, which has a sinister resonance to the targeting of Jews throughout history, is irresponsible. They need to take down the map & apologize https://t.co/1Tcba3E0pM

— Rep. Jake Auchincloss (@RepAuchincloss) June 9, 2022

Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA) tweeted, “Massachusetts has seen a 48% spike in anti-Semitic incidents over the last year. Including just a few days ago in Peabody. We cannot tolerate this at any level. I join my colleagues in condemning anti-semitism in our communities.”

Massachusetts has seen a 48% spike in anti-Semitic incidents over the last year. Including just a few days ago in Peabody.

We cannot tolerate this at any level. I join my colleagues in condemning anti-semitism in our communities. https://t.co/wz4ym4DDHx

— Rep. Seth Moulton (@RepMoulton) June 8, 2022

Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) tweeted, “Not only is BDS counterproductive and destructive to Middle East peace, this is an extremely dangerous use of antisemitic tropes that could lead to violence. This group should apologize and take down this reprehensible, grossly antisemitic ‘project’ immediately.”

Not only is BDS counterproductive and destructive to Middle East peace, this is an extremely dangerous use of antisemitic tropes that could lead to violence. This group should apologize and take down this reprehensible, grossly antisemitic “project” immediately. https://t.co/sEHGG6PXvL

— Rep. Nadler (@RepJerryNadler) June 9, 2022

Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY) tweeted, “The BDS movement put together ‘a mapping project’ that accuses Jewish and “Zionist” institutions of various evils in American society. Scapegoating is a common symptom of Antisemitism, which at its core is a conspiracy theory.”

The BDS movement put together “a mapping project” that accuses Jewish and “Zionist” institutions of various evils in American society.

Scapegoating is a common symptom of Antisemitism, which at its core is a conspiracy theory. https://t.co/dq0QjDQEGh https://t.co/dq0QjDQEGh

— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) June 8, 2022