Bill de Blasio Lambasted For Tweets Attacking Jewish Community
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has come under fire for singling out the Jewish community in a series of tweets in which he slammed them for not obeying lockdown procedures. He then refused to apologize for the tweets.
“Absolutely Unacceptable”
De Blasio personally went with police to the dispersal of a funeral of Rabbi Chaim Mertz in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, where hundreds of mourners attended. In a series of tweets following the funeral, de Blasio said that the gathering was “absolutely unacceptable.”
Something absolutely unacceptable happened in Williamsburg tonite: a large funeral gathering in the middle of this pandemic. When I heard, I went there myself to ensure the crowd was dispersed. And what I saw WILL NOT be tolerated so long as we are fighting the Coronavirus
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) April 29, 2020
“My message to the Jewish community, and all communities, is this simple: the time for warnings has passed,” de Blasio continued. “I have instructed the NYPD to proceed immediately to summons or even arrest those who gather in large groups. This is about stopping this disease and saving lives. Period.”
My message to the Jewish community, and all communities, is this simple: the time for warnings has passed. I have instructed the NYPD to proceed immediately to summons or even arrest those who gather in large groups. This is about stopping this disease and saving lives. Period.
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) April 29, 2020
De Blasio said he understood “the instinct to gather to mourn,” but that “large gatherings” would only lead to more deaths and “more families in morning.” The Mayor said he would “not allow this,” and that he and the NYPD would have “zero tolerance” against further gatherings.
We have lost so many these last two months + I understand the instinct to gather to mourn. But large gatherings will only lead to more deaths + more families in mourning. We will not allow this. I have instructed the NYPD to have one standard for this whole city: zero tolerance.
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) April 29, 2020
De Blasio Is A Hypocrite!
De Blasio was then slammed online for specifically outlining the Jewish community, especially when it was only one specific section of the Jewish religious community who attended the funerals.
Two things are true at same time:@NYCMayor YOU need to apologize for your DANGEROUS singling out of an entire “Jewish community” rather than ALL individual rule-benders!
To those still not adhering: YOU are responsible for harming YOURSELVES and others around you!
STOP IT ALL https://t.co/QKqMv0FEXt pic.twitter.com/yPyqhQnSQO
— Dov Hikind (@HikindDov) April 29, 2020
Others pointed out that de Blasio did not put forward a similar tweet when large crowds gathered on Tuesday in order to watch a flyover salute from the Navy and Air Force on Tuesday for first responders.
In a statement, De Blasio stuck by his guns, saying that “members of the Jewish community” were putting police officers and themselves in danger:
Now, if I see it in any other committee, I’ll call that out equally. So again, if in my passion and in my emotion, I said something that in any way was hurtful, I’m sorry about that. That was not my intention. But I also want to be clear: I have no regrets about calling out this danger and saying we’re going to deal with it very, very aggressively.
How absolutely hypocritical from de Blasio. Only this weekend he was caught flouting social distancing measures himself! De Blasio and his wife travelled to a park in Brooklyn, 11 miles from their home, which a Twitter user who videoed the pair described as “the epitome of non-essential travel.” If he’s going to call people out for flouting lockdown rules, maybe he should start with himself!
