Seattle museum is forced to shut down after nearly 30 staff stormed out to protest new antisemitism exhibit

Seattle’s Wing Luke Museum has been forced to close after nearly 30 staff members, about half of the museum’s workforce, walked out in protest of the new “Confronting Hate Together” exhibit. The strike left tourists with no choice but to close.

The staffers are unhappy with the type of language used in the exhibit, claiming that parts of it “confuse anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism.”

The workers left work on the opening day of the exhibition, forcing the museum to close. They promise that they will continue to strike until their demands are met and the measures are changed.

The disgruntled employees of the only pan-Asian art and history museum in the United States wrote: “Zionism has no place in our communities and being anti-Zionist goes hand in hand with our own liberation as AA/NHPI. Our solidarity with Palestine must be reflected in our AA/NHPI institutions.”

The employees who walked out protested the new exhibition ‘Confronting Hate Together’

The 26 striking workers are now demanding the removal of any language from the exhibition that attempts to portray Palestinian liberation and anti-Zionism as anti-Semitism.

They also call on the museum to recognize its “limited perspectives, conduct a community review, and unite voices and perspectives that align with the museum’s mission and values,” the group wrote on social media.

The exhibition aimed to explore hatred against Asian American, Native American and Pacific Islander communities, as well as Black and Jewish communities.

According to the museum’s website, it would last from Wednesday through June 30.

The Confronting Hate Together Organizers of the exhibition at the Wing Luke Museum

The workers are calling for the removal of language that equates anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism

The staffers, who make up about half of the museum’s workforce, closed the museum on the opening day of the exhibition and vowed to strike until their demands were met.

One panel in particular from the Jewish Historical Society said: “Today, anti-Semitism is often disguised as anti-Zionism” – but such a view is a point of contention for the notable staffers, who argue that it conveys Zionist perspectives.

“What is happening in Palestine is a direct reflection of the violent colonization and imperialism that has impacted the Asian American, Native American and Pacific Islander (AA/NHP) diaspora for generations,” the disgruntled workers wrote online .

The group expressed concern that the exhibition’s portrayal of Zionism contradicts the museum’s goal of addressing the impacts of colonization and imperialism on AA/NHPI diaspora communities.

“Our museum’s exhibitions, education and programs have brought communities together, shared hard histories and conversations, and helped create joy and light in the darkness of what AA/NHPI diasporas often feel and experience,” they stated.

The museum will remain empty of visitors until parts of the exhibition are reworked

The staffers who walked out argue that Zionism contradicts their mission and that solidarity with Palestine should be reflected in their institution.

The staffers suggest that ‘anti-Semitism is often disguised as anti-Zionism’

The workers outlined in a series of Instagram posts why they were unhappy with the exhibition

Zionism is a movement that advocates the establishment and support of a Jewish homeland in the historic land of Israel, but critics, including many Palestinians, argue that Israel’s creation led to the displacement of Palestinian Arabs.

Following the staff strike, the museum issued a statement in support of its employees, recognizing their right to express their beliefs and engage in dialogue.

“Members of the Wing Luke Museum staff conducted a respectful walk-out in protest of the contents featured in a new exhibit,” the museum said.

‘As an organization rooted in dialogue, we recognize and support the right of our employees to express their beliefs and personal truths and, to this end, we reserve space for a careful and thoughtful process of listening with the intention of hearing multiple perspectives in pursuing a shared path forward.

Pro-Palestinian protesters chant as they occupy Dodd Hall at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) in Los Angeles earlier this month

‘Having closed the Museum this week to listen and engage in serious dialogue with our staff, the Museum looks forward to opening our doors at a future date so that we can continue to serve our community in other necessary capacities during this time serve. Watch for updates from us.’

The museum is temporarily closed to listen and engage with staff and strives to find a way forward that includes multiple perspectives.

The museum plans to offer free admission to the community to experience the exhibit once it reopens.