The Rabbinical Alliance of America—Igud HaRabbonim, representing over 950 American rabbis—condemns the Democratic Socialists of America’s subversive and destructive platform as well as their endorsement of candidates for the New York City Council. This campaign is spearheaded by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and her far left contemporaries in Congress,
This past Saturday, November 14, 2020, the Democratic Socialists of America endorsed six candidates for New York City Council seats in a daring bid to take over New York City. The platform these council candidates pledge to support includes efforts to defund the police as well as curbing and even completely eliminating the “broken windows” doctrine. They also want to curtail community policing, decriminalize prostitution and significantly reduce the number of jails, as part of the effort they characterize as “decarceration.”
Most dramatic and shocking is their embracement and support of the infamous boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel, commonly referred to as the BDS movement, which singles out the Jewish state for economic warfare among all the many countries in this world. Additionally, if elected, these candidates for New York City Council would be discouraged from taking trips to Israel to see the facts up close and reach an informed judgment.
Rabbi Mendy Mirocznik, executive vice-president stated that “it is painful and shocking that of all places, New York City which has the largest Jewish population outside of Israel has to contend with candidates running on an anti-Semitic, anti-Israel platform. The BDS movement calls for economic warfare against Israel. The Jewish state is America’s trusted ally in the Middle East, a most volatile and dangerous region of the world. Further, this platform is anti-peace. The current reality of the Middle East demonstrates that economic cooperation, not BDS, brings people together. The Abraham Accords herald a new era of positive transformation of the Middle East to a region in which true and lasting peace, security and economic health will reign. The mere suggestion that City Council candidates refuse on principle to visit Israel for a fact-finding trip demonstrates an irrational hatred and closed-mindedness. Israel is a respected democracy and a beacon of light and hope for the entire world. In a world full of oppressive, autocratic regimes, this egregious attempt to isolate Israel is patently anti-Semitic.”
Mirocznik further commented, “The candidates pledge to destroy any vestige of law and order in New York City through a series of measures to decrease law enforcement and legalize crimes. This agenda will create a scenario in which New York City becomes hostile to its innocent residents, as violent crime and fear increase. The diverse residents of New York City are by and large hard-working, law-abiding citizens and good people. The people who comprise this great, diverse, cosmopolitan mosaic deserve better and their children deserve better. The city cannot function if its residents feel unsafe. The horrendous rise in crime and the dramatic increase in murders that New York City has witnessed recently is a direct result of these misguided policies. On the contrary, we must demonstrate support and appreciation to the NYPD and law enforcement who protect the city’s residents around the clock. We must make law enforcement feel that their efforts to ensure public safety are welcomed and that we, the residents of New York City, want them to succeed at their job.
“This is a time for an abundance of caution, a time for high alert. We pray for the health and safety of all people. We pray that the situation improves and peace resumes. Now is the time for the government and law enforcement to take action to prevent any escalation of the deteriorating situation. This can only be accomplished by strengthening law enforcement, not by implementing these outrageous, reckless policies. The Rabbinical Alliance of America therefore calls upon all decent, law-abiding New Yorkers to condemn the message of the Democratic Socialists of America as misguided and destructive. We also call upon all New Yorkers to raise their collective voice in outrage and boldly reject this dangerous platform, which is bad for New York City and the United States.”