Days After Pledging To Give Muslims Free Meals, De Blasio Threatens To Round Up Jews
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio became the subject of scorn after he issued a statement that targeted the Jewish community for arrests.
The mayor was furious at members of the Hasidic Jewish community for gathering together on Tuesday for a funeral.
He was so furious that he went to the funeral himself to have the mourners disperse before issuing some scathing tweets directed at Jewish New Yorkers that laid bare the victim hierarchy that progressives tend to have.
“Something absolutely unacceptable happened in Williamsburg tonite: a large funeral gathering in the middle of this pandemic,” de Blasio wrote on Twitter.
“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.”
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,” the mayor went on.
“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
“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,” he concluded.
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
A week ago, however, when the mayor addressed Muslim New Yorkers, his message was much nicer in tone, even offering them help to celebrate while social distancing.
“To those celebrating, I know it’s painful to not worship together at a mosque or be with your family or friends. But your sacrifice is playing a critical role in fighting this disease and saving lives,” the mayor wrote, referring to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
“To the Muslim New Yorkers beginning their celebrations tonight who need halal meals, we have them across our 400+ grab and go meal sites, and are bringing hundreds of thousands more to the 32 sites most frequented by our Muslim communities.”
To those celebrating, I know it’s painful to not worship together at a mosque or be with your family or friends. But your sacrifice is playing a critical role in fighting this disease and saving lives.
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) April 23, 2020
To the Muslim New Yorkers beginning their celebrations tonight who need halal meals, we have them across our 400+ grab and go meal sites, and are bringing hundreds of thousands more to the 32 sites most frequented by our Muslim communities. Go to https://t.co/CXRUjdE37k for more.
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) April 23, 2020
The fact that de Blasio used taxpayer funds to help one religious group with their celebrations as he threatened another with arrests shows precisely the issue Democrats have with identity politics.
Your religious affiliation, your sexual orientation, your gender — or proclaimed lack of gender — determine where you fall on the left’s mighty victim list.
Muslims, widely considered by the left as more persecuted than Jewish people, are higher on the victim list than Jewish Americans are.
Therefore, they get free meals and sympathetic tweets, while Jewish New Yorkers get the mayor coming to yell at them in person and then on Twitter as they are threatened with arrests.
The mayor is not incorrect about the rules applying to everyone, but the phrasing of his message was abhorrent.
In a city that has been besieged by anti-Semitic hate crimes, the idea that he would single out members of the Jewish community is both ridiculous and dangerous.
There is a tragic history of Jewish people being rounded up and arrested for practicing their religion.
It happened in Nazi Germany, but we will never allow it to happen here — regardless of the offensive comments of a mayor drunk on power.
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