“Not on our watch!” say Assembly Members Daniel Rosenthal and Nily Rozic to socialists fighting local orgs aiding Israeli settlements
Jews around the world were extremely concerned for the lives of their brethren just a few days ago when Israel was targeted in yet another barrage of rocket attacks. Following an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire after five days of fighting, the IDF’s Operation Shield and Arrow resulted in significant progress against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The operation successfully disrupted many terrorist activities, including the destruction of 17 jihadist headquarters and numerous rocket depots. The ceasefire has allowed a return to normalcy for many of Eretz Yisrael’s beloved communities. Israeli crossings to the Gaza Strip are reopening and roadblocks are being removed. Despite the turmoil, organizations like ZAKA stood out. Their teams remained committed to a mission of preserving life and providing critical support to those in need.
Here in New York, elected officials are in an all-out war regarding the age-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Until now, this has never been an issue in the state, where support for Israel has typically gone unchallenged. But the rise of Democratic Socialists has changed that historic medium.
“There’s a legislator in Albany who doesn’t believe in Israel’s right to exist,” stated Assembly Member Daniel Rosenthal. “That’s why 25 of us are condemning his bill that would stop New York charities from helping victims of terror in Israel.” Rosenthal, together with Assembly Member Nily Rozic of Fresh Meadows, gathered 23 of their pro-Israel colleagues and released a powerful rebuttal to Bill A6943: “Not on Our Dime!: Ending New York Funding of Israeli Settler Violence Act,” legislation introduced by fellow Queens Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, a Pro-Palestinian Democratic socialist and Brooklyn State Senator Jabari Brisport. These two rogue lawmakers hope to bar charities in New York from participation in “unauthorized support of Israeli settlement activity.”
“True chutzpah,” said Rosenthal of the bill. “This law was introduced last week while hundreds of rockets were raining down on innocent civilians.” The joint statement read: “Its purpose is to attack Jewish organizations that have wide-ranging missions from feeding the poor to providing emergency medical care for victims of terrorism to clothing orphans. This bill targets them all. In response, we say, ‘Not on our watch!’”
If passed, A6943 puts in jeopardy the tax-exempt status of charities engaging in the development of Israeli villages that force out Palestinian inhabitants. The State’s Attorney General would have the final say.
“This bill is a ploy to demonize Jewish charities with connections to Israel,” wrote the Assembly Members. “It was only introduced to antagonize pro-Israel New Yorkers and further sow divisions within the Democratic Party.” The elected officials concluded, “We look forward to seeing the supporters of this legislation condemn last week’s attack from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad targeting civilians and recognizing Israel’s right to exist.”
The additional members against the proposed bill include Amy Paulin, Helene Weinstein, Jeffrey Dinowitz, Simcha Eichenstein, David Weprin, Linda Rosenthal, Stacey Pheffer Amato, Ed Braunstein, Rebecca Seawright, Jamie Williams, Rodneyse Bichotte, Al Taylor, Ed Braunstein, Vivian Cook, Aileen Gunther, Andrew Hevesi, Jen Lunsford, Jonathan Jacobson, Karen McMahon, Deborah Glick, Daniel O’Donnell, Jenifer Rajkumar, and Steve Stern.
The naysayers take aim at the checkpoints that are positioned throughout Israel, which have become a reputable method of keeping terrorists at bay. Mamdani and Brisport claim that the New-York-State-based organizations like Rabbi Dr. Joe Frager’s Israel Heritage Foundation “are in direct violation of international and human rights law.” They claim that these groups are helped by New York State “to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars to ethnic cleansing while enjoying tax-exempt status in New York, meaning that New York State is effectively subsidizing these atrocities.”
The shameless socialist cosponsors are Sarahana Shrestha, Phara Forrest, Marcela Mitaynes, and Manny De Los Santos. I humbly call upon all pro-Jewish voices to condemn the haters and anti-Semites in the Democratic Party and help restore dignity to New York’s party, as we shun the antics of the DSA.
By Shabsie Saphirstein
