TABLETS CANCELED: A book ruminating on the state of Jewish identity in America sparked controversy in Brooklyn this week when a bookstore employee abruptly canceled a talk on it because of the discussion moderator’s views on Israel. “The moderator that your publishing team sourced is a Zionist and we don't want a Zionist on our stage,” the employee of powerHouse Books in DUMBO tells author Joshua Leifer in an audio recording of the tense exchange provided to POLITICO. “He is a Zionist… Please leave my store,” the employee later says. Leifer, moderator Andy Bachman — a progressive rabbi — and attendees were then moved to the sidewalk with the door shut behind them, according to descriptions of the incident Tuesday night. “They basically said, ‘We're not going to put on an event with a Zionist, and so we've canceled it,’” Bachman said. Both he and Leifer are progressive Jews. What was intended to be a thoughtful discussion of the book “Tablets Shattered” on a timely subject ended up sparking outrage from a slew of New York Democrats, some of whom saw it as a clear instance of antisemitism. “You’ve allowed this Zionist (i.e. me) on your premises many times to buy books — but now you won’t let us speak there??” Democratic City Comptroller Brad Lander wrote on social media earlier today. Lander, a progressive Jew, is navigating this issue as he runs for mayor. City Council Member Lincoln Restler, Brooklyn Rep. Dan Goldman and former mayor Bill de Balsio also condemned the incident in interviews and social media posts, as did Israel defender Rep. Ritchie Torres. The canceled book talk comes as the Democratic Party remains fractured over the war in Gaza, an issue of particular resonance in New York. Pro-Palestinian protests unfolded outside this week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago and a handful of delegates refused to cast their vote for Kamala Harris due to the Biden administration’s handling of the war. Council Member Shahana Hanif, whose fierce criticism of Israel has already sparked a likely primary challenge, said she was deeply disappointed by the incident. “I have previously spoken out against similar situations where Palestinian leaders or authors were excluded from events,” said Hanif, whose district borders Restler’s district, where the event happened. “Actions like this only serve to divide us and redirect attention away from important conversations about what’s happening in our communities.” Photos also show the bookstore abruptly displaying a sign that says “Sorry, due to unforeseen circumstances tonight's event is canceled.” Those who spoke with Playbook say they are still waiting for their refund for the event, and the bookstore did respond to a request for comment on the matter. “There's a level of absurdity to how far this has all gone, the fact that the people who were running the bookstore last night, didn't even have the courage of their convictions to look me in the eye and say, ‘Well, Andy, you're a Zionist. You can't be in this store,’” recalled Bachman, the former rabbi of Brooklyn’s Beth Elohim reform synagogue. He and others are considering filing a complaint to the city’s Commission on Human Rights and pursuing legal action, he said. Leifer, who was an early member of If Not Now, a Jewish group which opposes U.S. funding to Israel’s military, said the effects of the incident were antisemitic. “I have committed my entire journalistic career to writing about the abuses of Israel's occupation in the West Bank, and this event doesn't change my opposition to the occupation at all,” Leifer said. “Practically excluding the majority of Jews from from progressive spaces is antisemitic, but also has nothing to do with opposing the occupation.” — Jason Beeferman
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