New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio issued an apology Wednesday after rebuking the city’s Jewish community for attending a funeral in Brooklyn during the coronavirus crisis.
“Something absolutely unacceptable happened in Williamsburg tonite: a large gathering in the middle of this pandemic,” de Blasio tweeted late on Tuesday.
“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,” he added.
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
The Brooklyn funeral was for a rabbi who had died of coronavirus and the gathering was broken up in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus, according to The New York Times.
De Blasio said such group events will not be tolerated and said he has ordered police to break up and “even arrest” those participating in large gatherings.
“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,” de Blasio wrote in a follow-up tweet Tuesday.
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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
“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,” the mayor wrote in another tweet.
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
The online Jewish news publication Yeshiva World News, which participated in the rabbi’s funeral, called out de Blasio over his “double standard.”
“But where was the NYPD and Mayor de Blasio when tens of thousands of New Yorkers were packed into parks and other locations to watch the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels today?”
Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz also called out the mayor for singling out the Jewish community.
“Would DeBlasio have sent this identical tweet with the word “Jewish” replaced by any other religious minority? If not, why not? Laws should be enforced neutrally w/o targeting religious faith,” Cruz tweeted.
Would DeBlasio have sent this identical tweet with the word “Jewish” replaced by any other religious minority? If not, why not? Laws should be enforced neutrally w/o targeting religious faith. #ProtectFreeExercise https://t.co/dMVcX0bin4
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) April 29, 2020
The Blue Angels flyover in NY City today was beautiful, but I didn’t see any outrage over the lack of social distancing. That reaction is reserved for Jewish weddings & funerals. Two wrongs don’t make a right, but only one wrong makes the news and the condemnation of politicians. pic.twitter.com/PIxDoE0TVE
— Joel M. Petlin (@Joelmpetlin) 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
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The apology: During his Wednesday press briefing, de Blasio said he regrets what he said and how he said it, claiming he made the remarks out of “frustration” and “anger” and professed that what he had said, he said “with love, but it was tough love.”
“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,” the mayor said, according to Fox News.
(Photo credit: Gage Skidmore)
