PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania — We might be tempted to give New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio the benefit of the doubt. It was a thoughtless moment.
In haste he tweeted: “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.”
Who can fault de Blasio his rage when a segment of Orthodox Jews flouted social distancing rules by turning out by the hundreds for another funeral in Brooklyn Tuesday night? That is a solid month after we were bluntly warned against gathering in large crowds while the coronavirus ravages most of the world.
De Blasio’s wrath is understandable. Anyone who does not comprehend that it is dangerous to be in close physical contact with others must be spending their time in a backwoods cabin in the Yukon. I am frightened of catching Covid-19. So are most people I follow on Facebook, and through phone calls and e-mails. The vast majority of these friends are Jewish.
Many of us are upset when we learn of others violating the new conventional practices. We do not even let our fellow Jews off the hook. So when de Blasio sends a “message to the Jewish community,” we hope that he did not think things through before speaking, that the late hour compelled him to mix up the entire Jewish people with segments of the entire Jewish people. In fact, segments of Orthodox Jewry.
Most veteran politicians in New York City and its suburbs require no schooling on the Big Apple’s Jewish citizens. De Blasio is mayor of America’s most populous city with an estimated 8.3 million people – 1.1 million of them Jewish. His neighborhood of Park Slope in Brooklyn is home to many secular Jews and a popular Reform synagogue. He has worked in city government for years in a wide range of capacities.
De Blasio’s “message to the Jewish community” leaves him narrow space for excuses. Distinguishing between all Jews and a minority of Jews should be a no-brainer in NYC. I am usually slow to label someone an anti-Semite unless I am certain in my mind. I am not certain here, but de Blasio was at best insensitive.
The mayor’s “message” was the second of three tweets responding to a crowded funeral procession for Rabbi Chaim Mertz, a beloved spiritual leader who died of the coronavirus, according to various media sources. Unexpectedly, 2,500 people (mainly Orthodox Jewish men) participated and some ignored police orders.
His synagogue, Kahal Tolath Yakov, later released a statement with the explanation, “We thought that the procession will be in accordance with the rules, and we apologize that it turned out otherwise. It also hurts that this led to singling out the Jewish community, and for that we apologize to all Jewish people.”
Reflecting the fuming Jewish response, CEO Jonathan Greenblatt of the Anti-Defamation League, said, “Generalizing against the whole population is outrageous especially when so many are scapegoating Jews. This erodes the very unity our city needs now more than ever.”
We can speculate as to what is wrong with de Blasio, but I will not try to read his mind. However, de Blasio’s conduct offers a circumstantial case for anti-Semitism.
A year ago, De Blasio supported City Council Speaker Corey Johnson’s decision to remove Councilman Kalman Yeger from the immigration committee after he asserted in a tweet that Palestine does not exist.
This was political correctness run amuck. Yeger, who represents Boro Park in Brooklyn, is right. There is no sovereign state in the Middle East called Palestine. The territory on which Israel sits was once known as Palestine, but not as a sovereign nation.
De Blasio and Johnson were denying history and then punishing Yeger for daring to correct the record.
Critics of de Blasio claim he is holding Orthodox Jews to a higher standard. There has been plenty of crowding in NYC, yet the mayor has not sent a “message” specific to anyone else. Plus, they say that de Blasio himself walks around without a face mask.
At the same time, de Blasio has had a positive relationship with the Orthodox community.
What’s bothersome here is the dearth of media coverage of New Yorkers violating social distancing rules while Orthodox Jews are singled out for coverage.
On Wednesday, the mayor spent much of the day defending his outburst, according to the New York Times. He said, “People’s lives were in danger before my eyes and I was not going to tolerate it. I regret if the way I said it in any way gave people a feeling of being treated the wrong way, that was not my intention. It was said with love, but it was tough love, it was anger and frustration.”
Tough love for Jews who are reckless, yes, but all Jews? De Blasio could argue that he was only reckless with his words, but words can inspire hostile people who are reckless with their fists, knives and guns. Maybe we should send the mayor of our largest and most dynamic city some tough love so he will take more care with his words.
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Bruce S. Ticker is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. He may be contacted via bruce.ticker@sdjewishworld.com
Very upsetting behavior from both the mayor as well as City Council….moreso, in a city with such a large Jewish population. Well-written article, to the point.