SEATAC, Wash. — The Christmas trees are back up at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Patricia Davis, president of the Port of Seattle Commission, said late yesterday that maintenance staff would restore the 14 plastic holiday trees, festooned with red ribbons and bows, which were removed from public areas of the main terminal over the weekend.
The commission believed that if they added an 8-foot-tall electric menorah, as Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky had requested, they would also have to display other religious and cultural symbols, which was not something airport workers had time to do at the busiest travel season of the year, Airport Director Mark Reis said.
Port officials received word yesterday afternoon that Bogomilsky's organization, Chabad Lubavitch, would not file a lawsuit at this time over the lack of a menorah.
"Given that, the holiday trees will be replaced as quickly as possible," Davis said in a news release.
Bogomilsky "never asked us to remove the trees; it was the port's decision based on what we knew at the time," she added.
"A key element in moving forward will be to work with the rabbi and other members of the community to develop a plan for next year's holiday decorations at the airport," the port statement said.
There were no immediate plans to display a menorah, airport spokesman Bob Parker said.
The Anti-Defamation League issued a statement saying reports that blamed the decision to remove the trees on Jewish opposition to them were wrong and stirred hate.
"The Port of Seattle's decision and the adverse and incorrect publicity that followed has led to a surge of anti-Semitism, including hundreds of hate-mail messages directed against the rabbi who sought permission for the menorah display," the league said.
Workers put the trees back in place overnight.
The rabbi, who had offered to give the port an electric menorah to display, said publicly yesterday morning that he would not pursue a lawsuit, and his lawyer, Harvey Grad, said he later conveyed that decision to the port's chief counsel, Craig Watson.
"We are not going to be the instrument by which the port holds Christmas hostage," Grad said.
The rabbi received "all kinds of calls and e-mails," many of them "odious," the lawyer said, adding he was "trying to figure out how this is consistent with the spirit of Christmas."
Bogomilsky could not be reached by phone last night. A phone number rang unanswered.
"For many people, the Christmas tree is an important symbol of the season. Our goal was to include a menorah in the airport as well so that we could bring extra light with Hanukkah's universal message of hope," Bogomilsky wrote earlier yesterday on behalf of Chabad of Greater Seattle. "Our discussion of possible legal action was never about removing Christmas trees — it was about protecting the right to add menorahs."
As to the port's consideration of a plan for next year, Grad said, "I think it's bogus — 'We'll talk to you next year.' All they're offering is what they were to begin with."
Thirteen of the original trees were placed above foyers leading outside to the airport drive. The largest tree, which Reis estimated to be 15 or 20 feet tall, was in a large lobby near the baggage-claim area for international arrivals.
Some airline workers took the holidays into their own hands yesterday, decorating ticketing counters with miniature Christmas trees. Airlines lease space for ticket counters and can display trees there if they want, Reis said.
Stefania Cottriel and other Frontier Airlines customer service agents pooled their money to buy four 1-foot Christmas trees. Atop a Delta counter, workers put up a tree several feet tall.
Army Pvt. Jeff Klein, 18, who was on his way from Fort Collins, Colo., to Fort Lewis, near Tacoma, said he could appreciate why the trees were removed but added that it would have been better just to add the menorah.
"Everybody comes through here, from every different religion," he said. "I'm a Christian, and I love Christmas, but this is international. They should try to make it a little more homey for whoever they can."