A Boston-area dental practice is taking quick action after one of its employees was accused of antisemitism.
In a video that circulated on social media over the weekend, a woman can be seen tearing down "kidnapped" posters of people taken hostage by Hamas in Israel.
The footage was recorded at The Street, a shopping center in Chestnut Hill.
The woman was quickly identified as Dr. Zena Al-Adeeb, a dental specialist at Nevins Dental Institute in Boston. Her employer acknowledged the behavior in a statement letting patients know Dr. Al-Adeeb was no longer with the practice.
"Our health care center will not employ anyone who has been found to further hate or discrimination," Dr. Marc Nevins said in a written statement.
Liora Rez, the executive director of the nonprofit StopAntisemitism, is applauding the dental practice's decision.
"This kind of bigotry will not be tolerated in America," Rez said.
Rez said her organization, which helps fight and expose incidents of antisemitism, is receiving upwards of 500 submissions a day.
"We have not seen levels of antisemitism like this since the Holocaust," Rez said.
NBC10 Boston got in touch with Al-Adeeb Monday, but she said she was not ready to speak publicly. She did say she had plans to speak to police.
An organization called Jewish Voice for Peace Boston said in a statement Monday night that it is supporting Al-Adeeb. It said as a result of the video, which was taken without her consent, she has received death threats and requires police protection.
The organization's statement also went on to say Al-Adeeb's decision "to remove the inflammatory flyers (posted without city approval) was neither illegal or anti-Semitic. The City has been removing these posters. Like other Palestinians around the country, Zena is being targeted simply because she is Arab."
Those who initially put up the posters returned to Chestnut Hill over the weekend to put up even more of them. As of Monday night, they had not been removed. They are also planning a rally in Brookline on Sunday.
"We're back. She can tear one or two down, but I have hundreds in my car and we're ready to go," Anna Kotkin of West Roxbury said.
