Art Basel Miami Protestors Sue Politician Over 'Jew Hater' Billboard

Miami City Commissioner David Suarez has confirmed that he paid for billboard trucks used to attack pro-Palestinian protest organizers outside Art Basel Miami Beach in December, escalating a dispute that has already spilled into court. The trucks, according to a filing in Southern Florida District Court, described Jewish Voice for Peace as an“extremist group” and called Alan Levine and Donna Nevel“Jew haters.”

Suarez told in an email that he funded the response himself and viewed it as a defense against antisemitism.“I will defend their legal right to say things I believe are evil, antisemitic, and disgusting,” he said, adding that free speech“is not a one-way street.” He also said,“I funded this myself and I will never back down from exposing antisemitism or any other hate.”

Jewish Voice for Peace was one of four groups that organized the rally outside the fair. The protest centered on calls to boycott Art Basel because of financial ties between its sponsor, the Swiss bank UBS, and Elbit Systems, an Israeli weapons manufacturer. Demonstrations have taken place at each edition of the fair since 2023, as activists have used the event's visibility to press concerns about Israel's war in Gaza and Miami Beach's investment in Israel Bonds.

Evidence filed in the lawsuit includes an invoice from Mobile Billboards of Miami showing a $4,000 charge for three trucks, along with a message sent to a Gmail address allegedly belonging to Suarez. Donna Nevel said she was not shocked to learn Suarez was behind the campaign, citing what she described as his“destructive, taunting behavior” in City Commission meetings.

The broader legal fight is still unfolding. Jewish Voice for Peace is suing the city over an ordinance it says was passed to discourage its protests, and this month's suit seeks documents from Suarez, Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner, and other officials. At Art Basel, where commerce, politics, and public spectacle increasingly overlap, the dispute is another reminder that the fair's perimeter has become as contested as its booths.

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