Boycott Israel City Council hearing gets heated; dozens removed
Jennifer Fermino
New York Daily News
A holy war broke out at a City Council hearing Thursday over a resolution to condemn the movement to boycott Israel.
The hearing grew so heated that City Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal, the Contracts Committee chairwoman hosting the Middle East shout-fest, at one point called for everyone in the crowded chambers to do a “deep yoga breath.”
She counted down to three — and let out a loud exhale into the microphone.
It didn’t work.
Cops tossed out dozens of people during the hours-long hearing, including the entire top-floor balcony in the Council chambers, which was full of people who oppose the measure.
The resolution — introduced in May by Councilman Andy Cohen(D-Bronx) — condemns “all efforts to delegitimize the state of Israel and the global movement to boycott, divest from, and sanction the people of Israel.”
It notes the movement, known as BDS, goes beyond protesting the government’s policies because it targets all facets of Israeli society, including “academic, cultural, and civil society institutions, as well as individual Israeli citizens.”
“At the heart of the BDS movement … is suppression of viewpoints and free speech,” said City Councilman Rory Lancman (D-Queens), who supports the resolution.
But opponents say it violates the right to protest.
“Whatever happened to, ‘I don’t agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend your right to say it?’” said Linda Sarsour, the executive director of the Arab American Association of New York and a BDS supporter.
The resolution originally stated that the Council supports efforts by the Legislature to ban the state from doing business with companies that support the BDS movement.
But that language was removed to simply say the Council condemns the movement.
The measure has 33 supporters, including Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.
Source: www.nydailynews.com