This week, a well known rabbi died in New York City.
A large crowd of people gathered for his funeral and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio called them out for not social distancing.
His tweet however, was not good. He singled out the Jewish community and threatened people with arrest.
FOX News reports:
De Blasio warning to Jewish community sparks backlash in latest controversy over coronavirus measures
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is being accused of singling out his city’s Jewish community after a Brooklyn funeral was broken up by police for allegedly violating social distancing requirements being enforced during the coronavirus pandemic.
The funeral of Rabbi Chaim Mertz in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn appeared to draw a massive crowd, as images of the scene appeared on social media. De Blasio even went to the site of the funeral with police before posting a tweet that touched off the backlash.
“My message to the Jewish community, and all communities, is this simple: the time for warnings has passed,” de Blasio tweeted Tuesday night. “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.”
See de Blasio’s tweet below:
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
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The backlash was swift:
Mr. Mayor, your words are unacceptable. To condemn our entire community over one group of people is something you would not do to any other ethnic group, and I know you long enough to know that you know this. https://t.co/tkKQrc0bXA
— Kalman Yeger ונשמרתם מאד לנפשותיכם (@KalmanYeger) April 29, 2020
Hey @NYCMayor, there are 1mil+ Jewish people in #NYC. The few who don’t social distance should be called out — but 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. https://t.co/jcYO9QQred
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) April 29, 2020
It is NEVER ok for an American elected official to single out the Jewish community like this. That de Blasio is the mayor of the most Jewish city in the country makes this that much worse. https://t.co/9AcmAQFkBb
— Seffi Kogen IS SOCIAL DISTANCING!!! (@seffikogen) April 29, 2020
The mayor offered a pretty lame excuse for his remarks:
NYC Mayor de Blasio: Remarks were 'tough love' https://t.co/mXDCBLzDL1
— Arutz Sheva (@ArutzSheva_En) April 29, 2020
Shameful.
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