Bloomfield Township’s Board of Trustees hosted three and a half hours of public comment in response to an anti-Zionist post by Trustee Stephanie Fakih and voted 6-1, with Fakih opposed, to censure her on Oct. 14.

Fakih posted a story to her private Instagram on Oct. 4 that says “Israeli Zionists are the scum of the earth and the only people on par are American Zionists.”

A video from @thelawyard that says “Israel heavily strikes Beirut” is included in the post.

Screenshot of a social media post by Bloomfield Township Trustee Stephanie Fakih. Photo by Deadline Detroit.

More than 200 members of the public showed up for the meeting and about 50 of them waited outside. Police stood outside the building, at the door, in the hallway and in the meeting room and allowed more people into the building when other people left, as they said the room was at capacity. The final public commenters were able to enter the building about two and a half hours after the start of the meeting after listening to it through speakers outside in the 46 degree weather.

About 50 people denounced Fakih’s post during public comment and asked her and the Board to do a variety of things, including be open to learning, apologize, resign or for her to be removed. Fakih’s four year term ends Nov. 20 and she is not running for re-election. About 10 people spoke in support of her.

Members of the public wait to enter Bloomfield Township’s Trustee meeting on Oct. 14. Photo by Natalie Davies.

Township Clerk Martin Brook motioned to censure Fakih, a measure that doesn’t change her status on the Board, but denounces what she posted.

“Trustee Fakih knew or should have known making such a statement would cause division and pain in the Bloomfield township and surrounding community,” the censure resolution reads. “The Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees finds the content of that post reprehensible, anti-Semitic and inconsistent with their pledge to uphold the principles of township governance.”

Before the public comment, Fakih said she would never disparage any religious or spiritual belief, including Judaism.

“A danger that we’re seeing in society today is trying to redefine and broaden the definition of words,” she said. “The problem with doing that, similar to labeling, is that it shuts down discourse and sometimes often needed dialog… I understand that there are people that conflate Zionism and Judaism, but by definition… Judaism is a religion and Zionism is an ideology.”

Fakih read Marriam-Webster’s dictionary definition of Zionism: “an international movement originally for the establishment of a Jewish national or religious community in Palestine and later for the support of modern Israel.”

“I will never stand to divide,” Fakih said. “I have dedicated my time as trustee and every organization that I have been a part of professionally for the last 10 years by solving problems and serving others, and I don’t intend to stop that now. So my hope is to use this moment to try and help others understand that members of your community, Arab Americans, both Muslim and Christian, are in pain and a lot of them are suffering in silence… They’re afraid to talk about their pain, because they’re afraid of being labeled as you have all labeled me (anti-Semitic).”

Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit Senior Director David Kurzmann said the federation strongly condemns Fakih’s post. He also said the organization’s building was graffitied for the third time in the past year on Oct. 7.

“To label us as scum of the Earth is dehumanizing and offensive,” he said. “It perpetuates harmful stereotypes and fuels prejudice against our community. Zionism is the belief in a Jewish homeland. It’s a central tenet of Jewish identity and history. The vast majority of Jews are Zionists. Israel is our ancestral homeland.”

Bloomfield resident David Victor said he believes in the right of Jewish people to self determination and the Jewish state of Israel to exist.

“I’m Jewish. I’m a Zionist,” Victor said. “Thus I’ve been labeled by you ‘scum of the Earth.’ We’re here, Trustee Fakih, not because of your colleagues, not because of the media, not because of a failure to understand the definition of Zionism, but because of your post.”

Members of the public comment in a packed Bloomfield Township meeting. Photo by Natalie Davies.

One resident who spoke in support of Fakih said there is no one who is more of a humanitarian than her and that she has inspired her to be a better person.

“I know some of you may think her words were wrong, but just like all of you here sticking up for your people, Stephanie is doing the same — sticking up for her family who is being affected in this senseless war,” the resident said.

Nabil Sater, a 45-year resident of Oakland County from Lebanon, said how Fakih said what she said is up for discussion, but he understands where she is coming from because he lost his mother in Lebanon in April.

“We should all be working together instead of against each other,” Sater said. “If you hear one word tonight, let it be that.”

My hope is to use this moment to try and help others understand that members of your community, Arab Americans, both Muslim and Christian, are in pain and a lot of them are suffering in silence… They’re afraid to talk about their pain, because they’re afraid of being labeled as you have all labeled me (anti-Semitic). – Trustee Stephanie Fakih

Township Supervisor Dani Walsh said the entire workings of Bloomfield Township shut down in preparation for this meeting. She said all of her meetings last week were canceled to discuss preparation for this meeting “due to calls for action from one of our trustees.” Walsh said it was the first meeting in her eight years on the Board with a no bag policy and metal detector at the entrance. 

Trustee Stephanie Fakih

“Fakih made additional videos and posts online that called for supporters to show up on the Oct. 14 Board meeting in attempt to disrupt and delay the Board’s official proceedings and cause the township to expend resources in providing law enforcement personnel to keep residents and the Board safe,” the censure resolution read. “Fakih’s recent communications further violate our principles because they are inconsistent with her pledge to bring ‘credit, honor and dignity to our public offices.’”

Fakih said she did not disrupt the Board’s proceedings. 

“It’s not clear who is a resident and who is not because not everybody gave their address, but inviting members of the public to come and comment regardless of which side they support is not encouraging disruption or stopping the work of Bloomfield Township. That is the work of Bloomfield township, to hear public comment from the people who want to come and speak.”

Brook said Fakih has done a lot of good work on the Board and her post and comments at the meeting surprised him.

“I don’t think Stephanie is anti-Semitic, but I think the post is anti-Semitic,” Brook said. “I think the post and conduct afterwards does violate the township Board of Trustees principles that we all signed. I make the motion because I think it’s our obligation to call the foul when we see it.”

Walsh said she respects Fakih and thought she was hacked when she first saw the post.

“I honest to God never thought my friend would say something knowing she not only attacked a community, but members of her own board,” Walsh said. “All I needed to hear was ‘I take it back’, ‘I don’t take back my thoughts, I take back the way it’s done’, ‘I take back something.’ I wanted the same humanity that those who lost lives a year ago gave to us and gave to her. That’s all I needed to not support this, and that could have happened earlier. That could have happened three hours later. All I needed to hear was, ‘I made a mistake and I don’t feel my community and Board members are scum.’ I didn’t hear that so I now support this (censure.)” 

Treasurer Michael Schostak said he was approached by other members of the Board in Oct. 2023 to prepare a resolution in solidarity and condolence to Israel after Oct. 7. He said Fakih pointed out the Board should focus on local government matters over international politics.

“We didn’t go ahead with a resolution at that time because it was not within our purview as a local government,”  Schostak said. “We’ve spent three hours now listening to a lot of very emotional testimony and public comment, and we’ve solved nothing. This is totally outside of what we are supposed to be doing as a board.”

Treasurer Christopher Kolinski said Fakih “has served the residents of Bloomfield Township respectfully” throughout her term and helped him, the newest member of the Board, adjust to his role with open arms.

“I also believe we are held to higher standards and have principals we have to follow. While I still respect Stephanie and believe she can be a good leader and she tries to be a good leader, censure is a way to show this type of language or this type of hurt in our community cannot continue.” 

 After voting to censure Fakih, the Board continued with the rest of its agenda. The full meeting can be viewed at www.youtube.com/@BloomfieldCommunityTV.