Updated on Feb. 11
A new billboard in Arcata, featuring a boldly Zionist message, was torn down under the cover of darkness after just four days.
The billboard, positioned along Highway 101 near Cal Poly Humboldt, said: “Call Me A Zionist. It Only Makes Me Prouder.” It featured American and Israeli flags and a dark-haired young woman gazing into the distance, wearing a prominent Star of David necklace.
An unknown individual or group ripped down the billboard late Friday or early Saturday, leaving behind a blank wooden background and tattered remnants of the sign.
Code Blue and White, a new pro-Israel group founded by David Porush of San Mateo, commissioned the roadside ad. Israeli-born Arcata resident Tamar Krigel helped design it.
The Arcata billboard sparked controversy on social media on Feb. 4, the day it went up, with some commenters calling for its removal — by force, if necessary. At least six threads with hundreds of comments were posted on the Humboldt forum on Reddit, ranging from debates over free speech to calls for torching the billboard with “kerosene and waterproof matches” because “fire cleanses all.”
“If promoting Zionism falls under free speech then so does vandalism,” wrote one anonymous commenter.
“Mr. Molotov would be happy to help,” wrote another.
One Jewish commenter said the talk of violence was worrisome.
“As a Jew living in Humboldt county, no affiliation or opinion to Israel, should I be concerned about being targeted by crazies?” the person asked, garnering 25 responses — almost all of them a resounding “yes.”
A Change.org petition calling on the advertising company that owns the billboard to take down the pro-Israel message garnered 79 signatures as of Monday afternoon. The petition said the billboard carried “genocidal messaging” that “does not reflect the values of this community.”
Porush and Krigel defended the billboard.
In an email to J., Porush said the goal was “to take back the word ‘Zionism,’” which he feels has been co-opted and distorted. Krigel agreed.
“The word Zionism has been twisted in so many ways,” she said in an emailed statement. “Anyone can look up the meaning of the word, yet many have tried to distort it into a colonial or imperialist evil, falsely assuming it to be rooted in racism or even genocide.”
Krigel offered her definition of the word, elaborating on the current war.
“To be a Zionist is to believe in Israel as a democratic, moral society — one that strives for peace even in the face of relentless threats. The horror of what has happened in Gaza is not a Zionist ideal; Zionism does not mean supporting every action of the Israeli government, nor does it mean ignoring Palestinian suffering. It is possible to want Israel to survive and thrive while also demanding that its actions reflect the highest moral standards,” she said.
“Being a proud Zionist and feeling horrified by what has happened in Gaza are not contradictions — they stem from the same core values of human dignity, justice, and the sanctity of life,” Krigel continued. “Zionism is not about blind nationalism; It is possible — and necessary — to hold this belief while also feeling deep sorrow for the suffering of innocent Palestinians in Gaza.”
Some local residents were less upset with the billboard’s messaging than with billboards in general.
“Is there any movement to try and ban advertisement billboards entirely in the county? They are so ugly and negatively affect the image and therefore use of any surrounding land and buildings,” one person wrote on Reddit.
Another responded: “We do have a time honored tradition of cutting down billboards around here,” referring to Humboldt County’s history of general anti-billboard advocacy, which has included campaigns against advertisements for Best Western, Applebee’s, a local mortgage company and other businesses.
Porush said Monday in a phone interview that Code Blue and White plans to replace the billboard. The incident, in his view, amounted to a hate crime.
“The equation between Zionism and Jews and the Jewish state is pretty clear, and the distortion of Jewish history — there was one comment on Reddit which said, you know, ‘all Zionists should be killed,’ and threats to throw Molotov cocktails at the billboard. Certainly, the energy is hateful whether or not it falls under the legal definition.”
A second billboard from Code Blue and White went up on Monday along Highway 101 in Redwood City. It displays the message: “America and Israel: Fighting Terrorism Together.” The billboard shows images of an Israeli female soldier and an American male soldier, both in uniform.
Porush said he reported the Arcata incident to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice. The case has been transferred from the sheriff’s office to the Arcata Police Department. According to police, there are no suspects. Anyone with information about the incident can call 707-822-2424.