Mayor Bill de Blasio is under fire over a series of tweets calling out the Jewish community for violating the city’s ban on large gatherings after hundreds of mourners attended a funeral in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for a rabbi who died from COVID-19:
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. 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
Photos from the funeral:
Tipster says this is the Williamsburg funeral today of Rabbi Chaim Mertz who died from COVID-19 pic.twitter.com/wsTvCrlzpb
— Reuven Blau (@ReuvenBlau) April 29, 2020
“I have instructed the NYPD to have one standard for this whole city: zero tolerance”:
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
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No arrests or summons were issued after the threat, however:
Per NYPD press office, there were 0 arrests and summons arising from this. https://t.co/hFe06tV5uv
— Jeff Coltin (@JCColtin) April 29, 2020
But it’s that middle tweet in the thread that’s gotten him in trouble:
"My message to all communities, looking at you jews." https://t.co/csO18Rh59w
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) April 29, 2020
What's crazy is that de Blasio adds "and all communities" to this tweet when in reality that's how the tweet should have begun in the first place.
What a stunningly awful thing for him to say. https://t.co/pHO9DogJWk
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) April 29, 2020
It’s an issue and everyone knows it’s an issue:
No big deal here just the mayor of New York telling Jews that "the time for warning has passed" and promising to round them up and arrest them if they exercise their First Amendment rights. Totally fine. Who could possibly have a problem with this? https://t.co/S1JAD9T6CQ
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) April 29, 2020
What he said is not even close to being representative of the Jewish community in NYC at large:
My dude, the Jewish community is donating plasma-even violating Shabbat to do so, to save lives. The few extremists in our midst
A-don't represent us
B-aren't on Twitter
c-don't equal the throngs in Central Park
Stop endangering your Jewish residents! We've had enough abuse in NY https://t.co/2rwIUgl9TE— Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll (@skjask) April 29, 2020
“You lowlife cretinous bobblehead”:
You lowlife cretinous bobblehead. There's only one community you would address this way. And it's the one that just went through a pogrom on your watch, as you let it happen.
The Jewish people will survive your term in office, despite your best efforts. Am Yisrael chai. https://t.co/mcOcjnWdFf
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) April 29, 2020
HE gets to go to the gym. HE gets to drive to Brooklyn every day for a walk. But not anyone else:
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
“Words do not exist to describe the criminal incompetence at City Hall”:
NYC has been a refuge for Jews fleeing persecution and death for decades and more.
How on earth does the mayor of NYC single them out for persecution in the middle of a pandemic?
Words do not exist to describe the criminal incompetence at City Hall. https://t.co/1bc2IoBcJt
— Lis Smith (@Lis_Smith) April 29, 2020
ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called him out as well:
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
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