Providence Raising the Palestinian Flag is Anything But Providential

Yesterday, a Palestinian flag was hoisted on Providence City Hall.

This was done at the behest of Providence City Council President Rachel Miller:

I am a person of Jewish heritage. I lost a good portion of my extended family in the Holocaust. Because of that I believe it’s my obligation to stand together with people who are facing a genocide.

Whatever claims to "Jewish heritage" Miller might have, her use of the word genocide is both defamatory and inflammatory.

In so doing, Miller is willfully promoting hatred against Jews by raising a flag of a people whose motto is "From the River to the Sea".

When one raises a Palestinian flag in front of a government building, it means the endorsement of the destruction of Israel, and by extension, the Jewish people.

Thus, Providence raising the Palestinian flag is anything but providential.

The flag raising was done over the objection of Providence Mayor Brett Smiley, who converted to Judaism last year and recently returned from a trip to Israel. However, Smiley indicated he could not prevent this act anymore that other members of City Council could prevent him from raising the Israeli flag over City Hall as was done recently. 

Perhaps. But I suspect if a member of Providence City Council were to try to erect a swastika flag, Smiley would be singing a different tune.

On a personal note, I find this act more than discomfiting. When things went south in Atlanta four years ago, I did make an effort to stay in the area. However, my preference was to return to the Northeast and focused my attention on three cities - Boston, New York and Providence. The latter mainly because my close friend and former roommate Christopher Kain resides there. I did land an interview with a law firm's Providence office, but nothing would come of it.

Of course, Boston was my number one choice, and I got my wish and couldn't be happier about it. Yet I am quite fond of Providence and (mostly) enjoyed my visit down there with Christopher last August as we enjoyed the WaterFire ceremonies along the Providence River.

The raising of the Palestinian flag won't prevent me from visiting Christopher in the future. However, it does diminish my perspective about Providence.