{"id":112063,"date":"2024-04-15T17:00:56","date_gmt":"2024-04-15T15:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/?p=112063"},"modified":"2024-04-11T09:58:13","modified_gmt":"2024-04-11T07:58:13","slug":"11-00-96","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/?p=112063","title":{"rendered":"When anti-Israel radicals win local elections"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>When anti-Israel radicals win local elections<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n

DILLON HOSIER<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Anti-Israel andpro-Palestinian demonstrators march through central London in support of the Hamas terrorist group, Oct. 14, 2023. Credit: Andy Soloman\/Shutterstock<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

In the shadow of Oct. 7 and the subsequent discord on campuses and in the streets, an alarming question has emerged: What happens when activists from anti-Israel groups like Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) move on from student government to real government?<\/span><\/p>\n

This is no longer a hypothetical scenario. It happened in the last local election<\/a> in West Hollywood, Calif., which has historically been strongly pro-Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n

The ascent of Chelsea Lee Byers\u2014an SJP activist and chapter founder\u2014to the office of vice mayor should be a wake-up call. It highlights the need for proactive political engagement as antisemitism spreads into local, state and federal government.<\/span><\/p>\n

Byers\u2019s ability to successfully conceal her extremist agenda behind her innocent-seeming nonprofit organization Beautiful Trouble is a warning sign of a significant threat to the Jewish and pro-Israel communities, as well as the integrity of local government. Her story is a cautionary tale.<\/span><\/p>\n

You would never guess that Byers is the voice of a violently antisemitic and anti-Israel movement. At first glance, she appears no different from any first-time local elected official. This is not a coincidence.<\/span><\/p>\n

Byers rose from radical activism to real political power in the course of a decade. In 2012, she tweeted, \u201cI am the President of Northern Arizona University\u2019s SJP\u2014let\u2019s make this day of action huge!\u201d In 2022, she ran in her first election. Mere weeks after Oct. 7, she was sworn in as vice mayor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Throughout her activism, Byers engaged in regular anti-Israel defamation. She called for boycotts, an end to foreign aid and war crimes trials of Israeli officials. In 2011, she protested an appearance by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In what was likely a deliberate lie, she falsely accused the hosting organization of sexual assault. In fact, she simply had to be physically removed from the event due to her deplorable behavior. In 2018, Byers led a protest at the Israeli consulate in Los Angeles at which the crowd chanted the genocidal slogans \u201cIntifada, intifada, long live the intifada. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What may be most dangerous about Byers, however, is the insidious nature of her tactics. In 2021, when it was clear she was going to run for public office, she tried to erase her digital footprint and hide her anti-Israel incitement.<\/span><\/p>\n

This strategic rebranding was only the beginning. Byers uses her nonprofit organization Beautiful Trouble to conceal her commitment to virulent anti-Israel ideologies. Though it claims to advocate for social justice, Beautiful Trouble regularly crosses the line into outright anti-Israel hate and incitement. Its social media platforms and public rhetoric are rife with demonization, distortions and racist stereotypes against the Jewish state.<\/span><\/p>\n

Multiple sources prove Byers\u2019s involvement with Beautiful Trouble. Indeed, her official biography<\/a> on the City of West Hollywood\u2019s website identifies her as a \u201ccore team member\u201d of the organization. Before the 2022 election, Beautiful Trouble\u2019s website directed donations to Byers\u2019s home address, showing her direct financial association with the organization.<\/span><\/p>\n

A more complete bio<\/a> at Women\u2019s Voices Now states, \u201cChelsea is part of the Beautiful Trouble collective, where she facilitates resources development and content creation for an online toolbox that supports organizers and activists around the globe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Byers\u2019s idea of activism is insidious and deceptive. Beautiful Trouble, for example, advises<\/a>: \u201cDon\u2019t dress like a protester. \u2026 Dress like a Republican so you can talk like an anarchist.\u201d This manipulation of public perception enables more overt expressions of Byers\u2019s agenda.<\/span><\/p>\n

As an example of the latter, Beautiful Trouble\u2019s website features a quote<\/a> that attempts to rationalize Hamas\u2019s terrorism: \u201dHamas explains itself. It is a demonstration in both senses of the word: a protest and an exposition of the reasons for that protest.\u201d This clearly attempts to legitimize a U.S.-designated terrorist group and downplays its atrocities. It further advances the agenda of demonizing Israel and Jews with the rhetoric of social activism.<\/span><\/p>\n

Byers was elected vice mayor by a slim margin of 54 votes. But she did not abandon her divisive anti-Israel agenda. She simply changed tactics. From her election victory to Oct. 6, she maintained a low profile with little overt activism. This changed dramatically following the horrific atrocities of Oct. 7.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the wake of the atrocities, Byers has more or less openly supported the monstrous pro-Hamas \u201cprotest\u201d movement that has taken to America\u2019s campuses and streets. For example, she posted, \u201cKeep showing up in the streets to #shutitdown4palestine.\u201d A sitting vice-mayor clearly should not be inciting mob events. It is not just reckless but a blatant dereliction of her official duties.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then there is Beautiful Trouble\u2019s \u201cGet Up, Rise Up Direct Action Fund.<\/a>\u201d This initiative is a cornerstone of the organization\u2019s anti-Israel efforts. It funds \u201ccreative, provocative actions\u201d ostensibly to advocate a ceasefire in Gaza, which is little more than an attempt to rescue Hamas from destruction.<\/span><\/p>\n

Byers\u2019s involvement in this effort raises serious questions. In particular, about the potential funneling of public resources\u2014whether funds, permits or official endorsements\u2014towards initiatives aligned with Beautiful Trouble. This would constitute a very disturbing conflict of interest.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a recent post<\/a> on Instagram, Beautiful Trouble shared an image that manipulated a well-known fast-food brand\u2019s logo with the words \u201cGenocide You Can Taste\u201d and \u201cSince 1948\u201d\u2014 the year of Israel\u2019s establishment. Beneath the altered logo is the defamatory phrase \u201cIS-RA-HELL.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Byers\u2019s decision to platform such content in the context of rising antisemitism is profoundly disturbing given her office. It irresponsibly fuels antisemitism, compromising the safety and security of the Jewish and Israeli communities in West Hollywood she has sworn to serve.<\/span><\/p>\n

The rise of Chelsea Lee Byers should serve as a stark warning to the Jewish and pro-Israel communities. It raises the question of whether, as a radical anti-Israel activist who continues to support a radical anti-Israel organization, she can truly represent all the citizens of West Hollywood.<\/span><\/p>\n

Byers\u2019s journey also exemplifies how radical campus environments are serving as incubators for the next generation of anti-Israel and antisemitic political leaders. These leaders will leverage their disreputable skills and tactics to win elections, starting with local city councils and school boards.<\/span><\/p>\n

Extremism and antisemitism are threats to democracy itself. Complacency is not an option. We must mobilize at the local level to counter this insidious movement. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that our governments at all levels are not hijacked by those who threaten not just Jews and Israelis, but all Americans.<\/span><\/p>\n

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DILLON HOSIER<\/strong> – Dillon Hosier is the CEO of the Israeli-American Civic Action Network.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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When anti-Israel radicals win local elections DILLON HOSIER Anti-Israel andpro-Palestinian demonstrators march through central London in support of the Hamas terrorist group, Oct. 14, 2023. Credit: Andy Soloman\/Shutterstock In the shadow of Oct. 7 and the subsequent discord on campuses and in the streets, an alarming question has emerged: What happens when activists from anti-Israel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[26,24],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112063"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=112063"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112063\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":112176,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112063\/revisions\/112176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=112063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=112063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=112063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}