B’nai B’rith International calls on all states displaying the Confederate flag to remove the offensive symbol of hatred and discrimination. Public buildings, parks or license plates are no place for this strongly divisive symbol.

In the wake of the June 17 murders of nine African Americans in their South Carolina church by a gunman who targeted them because of their race, we are reminded that the flag remains, to many, an enduring symbol of bigotry and divisiveness.

Two days ago, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley called for the removal of the flag from the state house grounds. We welcome the decision today by Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley to have the flag removed from the state Capitol grounds in Montgomery. Major retailers in the United States have also announced they will no longer sell the flag, recognizing its potential to incite hatred.