FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: HARCKHAM GIVES AWARDS TO ‘PUTNAM FOR PALESTINE” LEADERS.
Controversial Anti-Israel Activists Infamous in Harckham District.
Hudson Valley-July 31…Progressive State Senator Pete Harckham gave an award last month to controversial leaders of an anti-Israel group called Putnam for Palestine despite extraordinary blowback against the pair within the Putnam community.
Jim Wise and Abby Lyons are infamous in Putnam for their radical views, which some have called anti-Semitic. Mr. Wise, a local school board member, was censored this month for his extreme statements against Israel, and nearly 3,000 local residents have signed a petition calling for Mr. Wise’s ouster.
“Jewish voters in the 40th Senate District are outraged that Senator Harckham would even be standing with these anti-Israel radicals, much less giving them awards,” said Westchester County resident Stacy Halper. “Israel is under existential threat, and our own state senator is promoting individuals who want the State of Israel extinguished. It’s a real wakeup call for us.”
“It is absolutely shocking that Mr. Harkham would publicly recognize two individuals who spend their days churning out anti-Israel propaganda inside the 40th State Senate District,” Ms. Arena, a long-time children’s advocate and mother of eight said. “Mr. Harkham clearly knows about the controversy surrounding these two individuals, yet he issued them an official government award at a recent unrelated rally. There is no place in the Hudson Valley for the kind of anti-Israel vitriol that Putnam for Palestine is spreading, and Mr. Harckham owes the public an explanation for why he’s elevating its leaders with awards.”
Congressman Jamal Bowman was soundly defeated in a Democratic primary in parts of Westchester recently after making repeated anti-Israel remarks.
“Israel was brutally attacked last October, and it has every right to defend itself against Hamas terrorism,” Ms. Arena continued. “What on earth is Mr. Harckham thinking?”
No comments:
Post a Comment