L-R-Abi Lyons, State Senator Pete Harckham, Jim Wise
By Dan Murphy
Residents in the 40th State Senate district are asking their State Senator, Pete Harckham, why he honored two controversial leaders of an anti-Israel group called Putnam for Palestine.
Harckham awarded Jim Wise and Abi Lyons last month, for their work in the LGBTQ community in Putnam. But Wise, a member of the Carmel School Board, was censured by his fellow school board members over his anti-Israeli rhetoric.
At a recent school board meeting, a two-hour debate ensued over whether Wise should continue to serve. During this debate, Wise said six times, the phrase “From the River to the Sea,” which he claims it not antisemitic.
But most residents and voters in the 40th District, and throughout Westchester, understand that “From the River to the Sea,” is antisemitic.
School Board President Melissa Orser read most of the resolution to the public. “This issue is not only divisive, but it is damaging to the fabric of our community. Over the past school year, we have witnessed an unsettling up tick of anti-Semitic incidents in our own school community. The presence of swastikas throughout our school buildings is a stark reminder of the hatred and intolerance that still exists. The Carmel School District must be at the forefront of teaching tolerance, understanding and the accurate history that dispels misinformation”….Mr. Wise’s use of ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,’ has resulted in a rallying cry for the destruction of Israel and the Jewish people. This is not acceptable. It is crucial to distinguish between political discourse and anti-Semitism. As leaders we have the profound responsibility to understand between free speech and speech that targets groups of people. Free speech is the cornerstone of our democracy, but it comes with the responsibility to consider the consequences of our words.”
According to the Anti-Defamation League, ADL, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” is an antisemitic slogan commonly featured in anti-Israel campaigns and chanted at demonstrations. This rallying cry has long been used by anti-Israel voices, including supporters of terrorist organizations such as Hamas, which seek Israel’s destruction through violent means.
“It is fundamentally a call for a Palestinian state extending from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, territory that includes the State of Israel, which would mean the dismantling of the Jewish state. It is an antisemitic charge denying the Jewish right to self-determination, including through the removal of Jews from their ancestral homeland.
“Usage of this phrase has the effect of making members of the Jewish and pro-Israel community feel unsafe and ostracized,” stated ADL.
3,000 local residents have signed a petition calling for Wise’s removal, and that petition has been submitted to NYS Education Commissioner Betty Rosa. The letter along with the petition to Commissioner Rosa reads, “Trustee Wise has repeatedly uttered the antisemitic phrase ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine shall be free,’ both in public and at board meeting on 7/9/2024. When confronted, he not only doubled down but also defended his actions.
“Mr. Wise stated, “I look forward to the day and I think it will happen in our lifetime, when we will no longer claim that dropping bombs on children in refugee tents is a Jewish thing to do.” Referred and called the state of Israel “a colonist white supremacist government.”
“Wise’s behavior has not only created a hostile environment for Jewish students but has also sent a dangerous message that hate speech is tolerated in our schools. This is especially concerning given the recent incidents of swastikas being drawn on school property.
“Wise’s actions have violated Policy 5300 Code of conduct section G.-Lead by example by conducting board meetings in a professional, and do not disrupt the orderly conduct of classes, school programs, or other school activities, or intimidate, harass or discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability or other protected categories.
“We implore you to take swift action to remove Trustee Wise from his position. His continued presence on the board undermines public trust and creates a climate of fear and intimidation for all students.
“We understand that Wise is currently under investigation by the Putnam County District Attorney, as well as investigations under DASA and Title 6 of the OCR. The school board has a responsibility to create a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students, and it cannot do so with Wise in its ranks,” writes Putnam resident Kim Zamparelli. Commissioner Rosa does have the authority to remove Wise from the Carmel BOE.
Wise and Lyons were front and center for a stop “genocide in the Middle East” rally organized by Putnam for Palestine. Several Carmel residents carrying Israeli flags also showed up -and a confrontation ensued, which was stopped by Carmel Police.
But the lack of oversight by Harckham’s office in researching who he honored is being questioned by residents in the district. “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,” said Gina Arena, Harckham’s opponent and 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.”
“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?”
Wise has used the fact that he is Jewish as a reason to permit him to continue to promote his antisemitic views. In response at the Board meeting Wise said presented several inaccurate claims and added that the resolution and debate were an attempt “to tar a Jewish man as anti-Semitic for holding a political opinion shared by a solid majority of Jews in the United States.” No data supports Wise’s claim.
“He has always been open about his views and feels that he is untouchable. The Board has condemned his actions and speech and didn’t want part of what he is doing,” said Zamparelli, who also wrote to Senator Harckham’s office. “There is freedom of speech but there are consequences, especially once he brought that into a school board meeting.”
At the meeting, Wise had his own group of supporters, many from outside the district. One man got up and spoke at the meeting saying, “Carmel is going to pay.”
“This is the concern of many parents. We don’t know if this man is serious and is going to come back when our kids are in school. We need board members who are going to be a good influence and have the backs of our kids. There is no room for this, and Jim Wise should be removed from the school board and not honored by Senator Harckham. “
Harckham defeated Arena two years ago by a 53%-47% margin, with Harckham spending more than $1 Million, while Arena spent $70,000. This year, with matching funds, Arena will have at least $350,000 to spend, plus the issue of the Lithium Battery Plant on the Westchester-Putnam border makes this race the most competitive in Westchester this November.
