Open Thread: Is This Mural Anti-Semitic?

In an article in The Baltimore Sun about the group Wall Hunters, who paint murals on vacant homes in the city as a way to draw attention to absentee property owners, allegations were made that a North Baltimore mural was anti-Semitic.

The mural, painted on a home at 4727 Old York Road, depicts a pharaoh's headpiece, a cotton field and fire coming from row home windows, according to the newspaper.

Danny Steger, an employee of the home’s owner NB2 Business Trust, said in the article that he thought the mural was an attempt to pit blacks against Jews.

"It’s not just vandalism alone. We believe it’s a hate crime as well," Steger told the newspaper.

On Sunday Carol Ott, a housing activist and blogger who has worked with Wall Hunters, responded to the accusations on the Housing Policy Watch website defending the mural.

"Gaia’s mural came out of the idea of a shared history, albeit not always a pleasant one, between African-Americans and Jews. The story of Exodus is one that most people who feel powerless can relate to – songs with deep spiritual connotations have been written about it – songs meant to not only tell a story, but to uplift, inspire, celebrate, and strengthen." Ott writes on the site.  

Do you feel that the mural is anti-Semitic? Share your thoughts in the comment section.