SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A San Diego rabbi who was uninvited from speaking at a Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast last week has sparked calls for an explanation and apology from the local Jewish community.
The rabbi from Tifereth Israel Synagogue was scheduled to deliver the closing message at the MLK celebration last Monday, but was removed from the program by Alliance San Diego, the nonprofit organization that hosted the event.
"Which is a real shame because he was coming to spread a message of inclusion and honestly to sing what's called an igunon, a song without words that everybody could participate in," said Adam Maslia, director of the Finest Community Coalition.
The Finest Community Coalition represents 47 local Jewish organizations. They spoke to ABC 10News about the controversy. Maslia said the decision to remove the rabbi was discriminatory.
"They de-platformed a Jewish speaker because he believes something that the overwhelming majority of Jews believe, which is that Jews have a right to self-determination in their ancestral homeland," Maslia said.
Alliance San Diego has since issued a lengthy statement acknowledging the controversy. The organization said they have "seen and heard the deep pain, confusion and concern surrounding their decision."
According to Alliance San Diego, the rabbi was one of two people asked to step back from speaking roles at the event. The organization said the event was facing potential disruption over the speakers' public stances on the conflict in Israel and Palestine.
Alliance San Diego said they wanted to keep the focus on Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy. The statement includes an apology and says the organization has been engaging in conversations with faith leaders and community members.
However, Maslia said more needs to be done to address the situation.
"I think repair begins with a real, genuine apology, not with excuses and justifications for what happened," Maslia said.
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