by
Stephanie Fakih
In an apparent angry response to Israel’s bombings in Lebanon, Bloomfield Township Trustee Stephanie Fakih recently posted on social media: “Israeli zionists are the scum of the earth and the only people on par are American zionists.”
Fakih, a criminal defense attorney, and Democrat, was elected in 2020 to the township board, which represents a diverse community of different races, religions and ethnic groups, including a sizable number of Jewish families.
Her comment, initially posted on Instagram, was reposted on the X platform, StopAntiSemitism, which stated: “This vile hate must not be tolerated - Stephanie Fakih must step down.” Her posting included a 15 second video that said: “Israel heavily strikes Beirut Southern Suburbs on Thursday night.”
On Tuesday, in response to a request for comment, Fakih said via email to Deadline Detroit:
“I will be making a statement regarding my post at the next Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees meeting on October 14 at 7pm (4200 Telegraph Rd).”
Both her X and Instagram accounts are marked private and are only accessible to approved followers. It's unclear if she meant for anyone beyond her social media followers to see the posting.
Fellow Bloomfield Township Trustee Neal Barnett, who is Jewish, said the comment is “unacceptable” and “vile.”
“She’s entitled to her First Amendment rights to say whatever she wants to say, however, as a public official there’s consequences and there’s a heightened sense of scrutiny,” he told Deadline Detroit on Wednesday.
“I’m disgusted by (the comment). I wouldn’t accept them if they were anti-Arab, anti-Black, anti-Gay, anti-any member of our diverse community,” said Barnett, who is an attorney.
He said he has not spoken to Fakih about the comment and expects the issue to be discussed at the next board meeting on Monday. He said Fakih is finishing up her four-year term this year and is not running for re-election.
On Wednesday afternoon, Bloomfield Township Treasurer Michael Schostak, Township Supervisor Dani Walsh and Clerk Martin Brook, who are also board trustees, issued a joint statement:
“We are deeply disturbed by Trustee Stephanie Fakih’s antisemitic social media post on Friday. Her views do not represent us, nor did she speak in an official capacity on behalf of Bloomfield Township. We are proud of our community’s diversity and we recognize that diversity as a source of strength. While we recognize her right to free speech, as township trustees, it is our duty to represent and serve everyone equally and with respect. But, her divisive and dehumanizing rhetoric undermined those values and wounded many residents. Ms. Fakih’s term will end on November 20th and between now and that time we call upon Ms. Fakih to help heal those wounds.”
Carolyn Normandin, regional director of the Michigan Office of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), also condemned the remark in a statement to Deadline Detroit:
“While ADL must remain neutral on candidacies for elected office, we maintain our obligation to call out antisemitism framed as anti-Zionism wherever we see it. This comment is deeply troubling. Vilifying those supporting Israel, as the vast majority of American Jews do, by calling them 'scum' is damaging and irresponsible, especially at a time of rising antisemitism.”
Trustee Neal Barnett
The definition of Zionism has taken on various definitions and interpretations, particularly as of late. It was originally defined as an international movement to establish a Jewish state in Palestine. A simple definition of today’s Zionist is someone who believes in or supports the existence of the Jewish state of Israel.
But some have equated Zionism with racism, discrimination, genocide, oppression of the Palestinian people in Gaza, the occupation of the West Bank and Israel’s military operations.
Conversely, New York Times columnist Bret Stephens wrote in an Oct. 4 column:
“’Zionist’ has become just another word for Jew. Anti-Zionists deny this strenuously, because a vocal handful of Jews are also anti-Zionist and because outright antisemitism is still unfashionable and because they’d like to believe — or at least tell others — that their objection is to a political ideology rather than to a people or a religion.”
Fakih's comments come at a time when the fighting in the Middle East has triggered strong feelings, comments, protests and demonstrations in Metro Detroit. It also comes at a time of increasing antisemitic incidents locally and far beyond and a rise of Islamophobia and physical attacks against Muslims and Arabs around the country.
The latest round of fighting in the Middle East began on Oct. 7, 2023 when Hamas invaded Israel, killing about 1,200 people and kidnapping about 250. The next day, Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia in Lebanon, which the U.S. and Israel categorize as a terrorist organization, attacked Israel in solidarity with Hamas. Since then, the two sides have traded attacks on a near-daily basis, and the death toll has mounted in Gaza.
More recently, Israel escalated the conflict in Lebanon, first setting off explosive pagers and walkie talkies belonging to Hezbollah members, killing dozens and wounding thousands. Some civilians, including children were also injured or killed.
Fakih was elected to the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees in November 2020.
She grew up in Bloomfield Township, attended Birmingham Public Schools, graduated high school from Cranbrook Kingswood and received an undergrad political science degree from the University of Michigan.
After graduating from Fordham University School of Law in New York, she returned home to open a law practice Rights First Law, PC in Birmingham.
In 2022, she ran for state representative in the 54th District and got a number of endorsements in the primary including the Detroit News and the United Auto Workers. She lost by 384 votes and came in second in a three-person race.
