On Alder and 24th, a Palestinian flag sits atop a three-story yellow house. The owners of the house, Yasser Mufti and Emily Grossman, moved into the neighborhood four years ago and have established strong community ties since then. Despite living in a friendly and engaging community, the installation of the Palestinian flag brought negative reactions.
As a recent retiree, Mufti spends his free time learning everything he can about the world, studying new languages, and taking philosophy and history classes. He even keeps a list of topics he hopes to learn about, one of which is the ongoing Israel and Palestine conflict. Mufti grew up in Pakistan, where he constantly heard about the conflict, but it wasn’t until he got older that he began to dive deeper into learning the topic.
Mufti acknowledged how protests regarding the conflict in downtown Seattle began to dwindle over the years. In response, he decided to install the Palestinian flag as a way of supporting the cause, but also to encourage others to continue to stand up for what they believe. “This would give them a little bit more confidence,” Mufti said, adding that it would help people know they aren’t alone in expressing their support.
Kind compliments and interest in the flag seemed to be the extent of the reactions Mufti and Grossman received, until two large stickers were posted onto a sign they kept in the yard. The yard sign showed support to Kshama Sawant, a former politician for the Seattle City Council and advocate for the “Free Palestine” movement. One of the stickers read, “You can’t be antiracist if you’re an antisemite,” and the other, “Its obvious that your movement is antisemitic when its participants repeatedly murder jews and nothing changes.” Mufti explained how, as a member of the “Free Palestine” movement, it is not uncommon to be accused of being antisemitic. Mufti’s wife Grossman is culturally Jewish.
Just like all social groups, the Jewish community is not a monolith, and those who identify do not all hold the same beliefs. Some members support the statehood of Israel, while others join anti-Zionist movements. Mufti stressed that, “people have grown wary of [protesting]. That’s one other reason I want to keep the flag up because it’s a reminder of [the Palestinian cause]. And then there’s talking with people. It’s one of the things to keep bringing up so that suffering is not forgotten.” Despite the backlash, the flag has been up since January 2024, and Mufti assures that it will continue to sway, adorning the front steps of their house.
