flyer from Westchester for Palestine promoting a protest in Mamaroneck
By Dan Murphy
Westchester County Executive and Congressional candidate George Latimer recently ordered flags at County-owned facilities to fly at half-staff to honor the American hostages who were brutally kidnapped and murdered by Hamas.
On Aug. 29, six Israeli hostages, including Israeli American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, were found dead in a tunnel in Rafah, Gaza. They were taken by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attacks and held for nearly 11 months. Apparently, Israeli forces were close to rescuing the six.
“Westchester County stands united against terrorism and in solidarity with the Jewish community, “read the statement from Westchester County
But several recent incidents in Westchester point to a continued concern over what are pro-Palestinian protests, and what some deem antisemitic incidents.
SUNY Purchase continues to be the college campus in Westchester that is a hotbed for pro-Palestinian and antisemitic speech. Purchase campus police recently found antisemitic words and symbols painted on student housing, as students were returning to campus.
SUNY Purchase spokesperson Betsy Aldridge said the graffiti included a “violent threat towards Israel,” the words “Zionists go home” and a symbol of a red inverted triangle found on the outside of the student apartment building. The red triangle has been used by Hamas to target Jewish people.
Two other reported graffiti were found on campus in recent days at Purchase, including antisemitic graffiti on a sidewalk, and another with “Free Palestine” on another sidewalk.
SUNY Purchase President issued a statement, “As we have communicated repeatedly, discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin, including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, has no place on our campus and in our community. Our policies unequivocally condemn acts of hatred, bigotry, racism, intolerance or violence.
Last month, two SUNY Purchase students and the StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department, filed a federal complaint alleging that SUNY Purchase has failed to remedy a pervasively hostile campus climate for Jewish, Zionist, and Israeli students through its inaction, refusal to enforce its own policies, dismissiveness toward Jewish students’ concerns, and at times unequal treatment of its Jewish, Zionist, and Israeli students as compared with other groups on campus.
The complaint details a Purchase Student Government Association (“PSGA”) leadership-driven effort to ostracize, excommunicate, and retaliate against Hillel, the sole campus group dedicated to Jewish life and Jewish culture at SUNY Purchase, apparently because of Hillel’s Zionist-Jewish identity. (https://yonkerstimes.com/federal-civil-rights-complaint-against-suny-purchase-claims-antisemitic-targeting-by-student-government/)
We continue our efforts to interview members of the Purchase Student Association who may have been involved.
Another incident which was threatened but never occurred was at the Pelham Library in July. County Executive Latimer was to attend a children’s reading program at the library, when the group Pelham4Palestine announced on social media that they were going to protest Latimer for his views on the conflict in Gaza, posting “Genocide supporter Latimer should not be allowed to read to our children while he shamelessly ignores, and quietly supports, the mass slaughter and maiming of Gaza’s children.”
Latimer and the library decided to cancel his appearance, and the protest never happened. Latimer has consistently called on Israel to stop their military action in Gaza, and for the release of the hostages.
Another protest, held by Westchester4Palestine, occurred on July 30 in Mamaroneck, with members protesting an event at the Hampshire County Club for Belev Echad, a group that raises funds for wounded Israeli soldiers.
“Westchester community members held a protest in Mamaroneck to disrupt and condemn Belev Echad and the Hampshire Country Club’s celebration of War Criminals. This ‘nonprofit’ takes American dollars and funds the health and recovery of Israeli soldiers injured as they perpetuate the genocide against the people of Palestine.
“Their timing is despicable, coming as Israeli people take to the street to fight for the Israeli Occupational Force’s legal right to rape and sodomize any prisoners they want to without repercussions. The IOF is clearly a military unfamiliar with any concept of human rights, dignity, or justice. Belev Echad and the Hampshire Country Club are acting in direct support of their ongoing genocide, and in support of the army that is seeking to legalize rape.
“Local Zionists took up position across the street from us, and 3 cars attempted to hit our protesters. Our organizers were also assaulted with a water bottle. Our message got across- NO PLACE FOR WAR CRIMINALS ISRAELI FORCES in our neighborhood. Whoever support them is complicit in genocide. PERIOD,” posted Westcheste4Palestine.
Supporters of Israel did form a counter protest against Westschester4Palestine on the other side of Mamaroneck Avenue, with Mamaroneck police in attendance to make sure all remained peaceful.
