Hundreds gathered for the funeral of the Tola’as Yaakov Rebbe, Rabbi Chaim Mertz of Williamsburg. Mayor DeBlasio sent out the following series of Tweets expressing his strong opposition and zero tolerance towards such behaviors.
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
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
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
Councilman Chaim Deutch, as well as many others, were very bothered by how the Mayor could possibly single out a specific community. The strong need to continue refraining from large groups must remain in place. But to go ahead and create even more hate to the Orthodox communities in NY after a year of hate crimes may not be the right approach.
What???
This has to be a joke. Did the Mayor of NYC really just single out one specific ethnic community (a community that has been the target of increasing hate crimes in HIS city) as being noncompliant?? Has he been to a park lately? (What am I saying – of course he has!) https://t.co/LYKnUZm2Mc
— Councilman Deutsch (@ChaimDeutsch) April 29, 2020
Isaac Abraham quoted by The NYPOST said the mayoral criticism rang hollow after large crowds congregated across the city earelier on Tuesday to watch the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds fly overhead.
Images of a crowded streets watching the jets overhead began to pop up all over social media to criticize the Mayor for comments.
Ben Shapiro also blasting the Mayor for his comments “Imagine De Blasio saying this about any other community”.
I can't imagine de Blasio saying this about any other community. It's pretty amazing. And for the record, MANY of the leaders of the Jewish community have taken strong stands on social distancing. https://t.co/aqlL7Yr8Xs
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) April 29, 2020
What a hypocrite dibs-lazy-o is.
Just last sunday a funeral for a police officer took place in the streets of Brooklyn and guess what!?!? Our so called finest who harrased the jewish community tonite were lining the streets shoulder to shoulder to pay their last respects. They went from deceased mom’s home to his home and further…
“They don’t have an issue with our distance, BUT our existence!!”
Sad! But but True
#BlameJews
This guys a joke
Ted Cruz and Ben Shapiro can go fly a kite with their blind jewish defense. There is no equivalency between the flyover crowds which consist of random differnet types people and a organized chassidus-meaning a particular select group/community. when a particular community or group is doing something wrong-it is perfectly ok for the mayor to single them out. u cant say well y didnt u call out the random people gathered to watch a flyover
Tachlis, you are a self-hating Jew.
The point is: The Mayor and the police did not show up or condemn any of the large gatherings at the parks and beaches over the past couple of days. In fact, he and his wife were actually by one park where social distancing was not being practiced. Pictures were posted all over media of many of these crowds, and the Mayor said and did nothing.
This levaya was done with permission of the NYPD and the Mayor’s office. They were the ones who closed the streets and even provided lighting. The Mayor came down because he knew it was happening.
Besides, even if they were wrong, which the may have been, there is no reason to lump it against “the Jews”. It was a few hundred Jewish people out of the thousands living in NYC. Most are complying with all the rules. When a small group of people do something wrong, you don’t blame it on all people of the same faith. That is antisemitism at its best.
Imagine 100 blacks or Muslims doing something wrong, and the Mayor saying his fed up with the blacks or Muslims. The media would go nuts, and rightfully so.