A New York state municipal leader has received blowback for a series of postings on social media.
Deputy Mayor Alexandria Wojcik in New Paltz, N.Y., wrote online about the “geopolitical interests of Zionism,” frequently used the pro-terror term “intifada” and pilloried police for arresting 132 people at the SUNY New Paltz campus. She further characterized anti-Israel activists as “brutally assaulted by law enforcement armed to the teeth in riot gear.”
The Jewish Congregation of New Paltz (JCNP), a Reconstructionist synagogue, released a statement warning that Wojcik’s statements could contribute to “violent uprisings against Jews and Jewish institutions in Israel and elsewhere.” It pointed out that her words allude to “baseless conspiracy theories rooted in centuries-old antisemitic tropes.”
Rabbi Adam Cerino-Jones said the ideas infused in the deputy mayor’s postings “have no foundation in reality, and are used to scapegoat and discriminate against Jewish people.”
In response on Thursday to a query from the Mid Hudson News, Wojcik attempted to apologize for any harm she may have caused though did not retract any of her statements.
“It is unacceptable for any New Paltzian, for anyone, to feel unsafe. My entire life I’ve strived daily to be always anti-antisemitic, anti-racist, anti-hate, anti-bigotry, in all that I do,” she said. “I am sorry to learn that, unfortunately, some of my work has not landed the way I had intended. I sincerely appreciate JCNP for letting me know that is the case.”