NYC Officials Demand Amazon Remove 'Antisemitic' Halloween Decoration
A City Council task force has formally asked the e-commerce giant to pull a witch animatronic featuring a Star of David on its spell book, citing concerns over fueling harmful stereotypes.
New York City officials are calling on Amazon to remove a Halloween animatronic decoration that they argue promotes antisemitic tropes. The City Council's "Antisemitism Task Force" has filed a formal complaint with Amazon requesting the removal of a six-foot witch animatronic, priced at $219, which features a spell book adorned with a Star of David.
The bipartisan task force outlined its concerns in a letter to Amazon dated October 14. "While it is unclear if this symbol was an attempt to depict a hexagram or another occult symbol, the Star of David is the most widely recognizable symbol of the Jewish people," the letter stated. The officials emphasized that in the current climate of rising antisemitism, associating this symbol with sinister imagery is particularly disturbing and could be perceived as demeaning to Jewish people, potentially inciting violence.
One Brooklyn resident who had unknowingly displayed the decoration expressed her dismay upon learning of the imagery. "I'm very upset, this is horrible," she told The Post, adding, "I don’t want to insult any religion. I’m sensitive about these things. I’m a big supporter of Israel and the Jewish people." She noted that her handyman assembled the decoration, and she had not closely examined it.
The letter, signed by eight officials including Council Speaker Julie Menin, Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, and Jewish Caucus Chair Eric Dinowitz, urged Amazon to immediately remove the product. They cited Amazon's own policies against hateful, discriminatory, and offensive content and expressed concern about the broader implications of making such merchandise available.
Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the complaint.