(JNS) A number of Massachusetts Jewish and pro-Israel groups are condemning several Democratic state lawmakers for participating in an Eid al-Fitr event at the Massachusetts State House being co-hosted by the Massachusetts branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which has a long history of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic sentiment.
In response to an inquiry from JNS regarding the event, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston (JCRC) executive director Jeremy Burton responded:
“We welcome the efforts and intentions of our political leadership to honor and support our Muslim neighbors through events such as an Eid celebration. On the specific partner you have asked about, JCRC has discussed this over the years internally, with our local and national member organizations, and with our interfaith partners. Based on our understanding of unresolved questions about this organization, we consider CAIR to be an inappropriate partner for ourselves and for the mainstream community,” he told JNS.
