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PRIMARY DAY, JUNE 22ND
COURIER L 14 IFE, JUNE 11-17, 2021
Yeger, Malliotakis condemn
anti-Semitic violence
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis. Susan Walsh/Pool via REUTERS
BY HARRY PARKER
On the steps of the Yeshivah of Flatbush
Joel Braverman High School, a
pair of Brooklyn pols gathered on June
3 to condemn rising anti-Semitic violence
in New York City.
Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis
and Democratic Councilmember Kalman
Yeger crossed party lines to address
mounting safety concerns in the
Jewish community.
Yeger, who represents Bensonhurst,
Borough Park, and Midwood, called
on other elected offi cials to work to denounce
anti-Semitism.
“Condemn the hatred that’s been
targeted towards Jews,” said the pol,
who is Jewish. “Anti-Semitism has
been going on for the last 5,000 years,
we’re used to it.”
Hate crimes are up 77.2 percent
this year, according to the most recent
NYPD crime statistics, with 202 reported
through May 23, compared to 114
during the same time period last year.
This comes after a reported 26 percent
rise from 2018 to 2019, according to
the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an
organization dedicated to preventing
defamation of Jewish people.
“We are here today to vociferously,
unequivocally condemn these acts
against our friends, against our neighbors,
and to say that we will not tolerate
this in New York City.” Malliotakis
said. “We will continue to condemn and
will come together to fi ght these terrible
crimes that are happening in our city.”
Malliotakis gave recent examples of
hate crimes against Jews in the city, including
incidents at a Staten Island synagogue,
an assault in the diamond district
in Manhattan, and the painting of
anti-Semitic symbols at a Queens veterans
memorial.
“None of this is acceptable,” she said.
“We must always err on the side of law
and order.”
Malliotakis blamed much of the violence
on initiatives aimed at defunding
the police and bail reforms that
she says have attracted crime across
the city. “People are committing these
crimes and they’re getting away with
it,” she said. “And it shows.”
The city’s lone Republican member
of Congress went on to blame Mayor
Bill de Blasio for his failure to stem violent
crime, and said his ThriveNYC
program to combat mental health has
failed despite rising spending.
Malliotakis ended the press conference
by saying many of her colleagues
in Congress are spewing rhetoric that
is not helpful to the discussion of intolerance
towards Jews. When pressed by
another news outlet on why she hasn’t
denounced members of her own party
for their rhetoric, the pol said she was
not being prohibitive about which party
is responsible.
Neither Yeger nor Malliotakis offered
legislative solutions to the issue at
the conference.
VOTE FOR DEMOCRAT
FOR CIVIL COURT JUDGE
2ND MUNICIPAL DISTRICT
As a first-generation American,
Lola Waterman lost her father to gun
violence. She currently serves as a Law Clerk
to a Kings County Supreme Court Justice
and an Arbitrator in Small Claims Court.
While in private practice, Lola advocated
for immigrants, seniors and families. Lola
is married to a pastor and is the mother of
three girls.
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