Board nominee accuses KC councilman of dishonest tactics: ‘I am not anti-semitic’
Accused of being unfit to serve as an alternate member of Kansas City’s zoning board because of his online social media post about Israel, Jaz Hays shot back Wednesday at the elected official who called Hays’ posting antisemitic in an open letter this week to Mayor Quinton Lucas.
Lucas pulled Hays’ nomination from consideration without comment Tuesday after 1st District Councilman Nathan Willett denounced Hays for describing the Israeli government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as being “a regime with genocidal intentions.”
Hays’ post was in reaction to the Israeli defense minister describing his country’s adversaries in the Gaza Strip as “human animals” as he announced a siege of the Palestinian territory in response to Saturday’s attacks by Hamas terrorists from Gaza that have killed more than 1,000 Israeli civilians.
“The comment made by Emerson ‘Jaz’ Hays mischaracterizes one of our nation’s strongest allies and spews up more hatred towards the Jewish Community and Israel,” Willett wrote in a letter to Lucas that Willett posted on his Facebook page. Willett described Hays’ online comment as “anti-Semitic.”
Hays did not respond on Tuesday to The Star’s requests for comment. But on Wednesday, he posted a five-paragraph response on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter on which his original comment about Israel appeared earlier in the week.
“I’m disappointed to hear that councilman Willet has written an open letter to Mayor Lucas calling on him to withdraw my nomination…due to my criticism of the Israeli government. These McCarthyist tactics are dishonest, harmful, and are simply an attempt to prevent me from serving on this board.
“To be very clear: I am not anti-semitic.”
Hays did not specify why Willett might want to torpedo his appointment to the board of zoning adjustment. But Hays has been active in public affairs, especially in the Northland where he and Willett both reside. His criticism of a proposed commercial real estate project near Kansas City International Airport has been pointed, describing the project as being undeserving to receive millions of dollars in tax subsidies.
Hays was also one of the organizers of KC Tenants Power, the political wing of the KC Tenants affordable housing group. KC Tenants Power rated Willett a “hell no” in its voter guide that endorsed candidates in this year’s city council election.
Asked during a phone interview if Hays’ outspokenness on development issues north of the river had anything to do with his opposition to the appointment, Willett denied having a political motivation.
“Not necessarily because, number one, I think he’s a grassroots person who deserves to be involved,” Willett said. “But those comments cross a line and our values and I think our city has values and those cross a line.”
Lucas did not address the issue or mention Hays by name during the city council committee meeting Tuesday that was to have considered his appointment. Instead, the committee considered a substitute resolution recommending the appointment of two regular members of the zoning board and Lucas said the appointment of alternates would happen later.
In a Facebook post Tuesday night, Willett thanked Lucas for withdrawing Hays’ nomination. But Lucas has not commented and Hays said Thursday that he has received no communication from the mayor’s office indicating that his appointment has been withdrawn.
Hays pledged Wednesday to continue serving “this great city that I love,” whether as a board member or “in a more informal capacity by educating the public on important City issues, I as I have been in recent years.”
This story was originally published October 11, 2023 at 11:17 AM.
