Source: Politics<\/p>\n
INTIFADA FLARE UP: One of New York City\u2019s most prestigious public high schools is facing backlash because a school-based socialist youth group co-signed a social media post declaring \u201cIntifada Until Victory!\u201d<\/p>\n
The Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter of Stuyvesant High School \u2014 along with YDSA chapters at Hunter College, the New School, City College and Lehman College \u2014 all signed onto an Oct. 8 Instagram post that accused the Democratic Socialists of America\u2019s New York City chapter of silencing student activists who wanted to protest Mayor Zohran Mamdani over Israel.<\/p>\n
The groups accused the democratic socialist mayor of betraying the Palestinian cause and blasted his decision to keep NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch in her position, referring to her as a \u201cZionist billionaire.\u201d<\/p>\n
The term intifada \u2014 which refers to violent uprisings against Jews in Israel \u2014 is viewed by many Jews as a call to violence against them.<\/p>\n
Moshe Spern, president of United Jewish Teachers \u2014 an advocacy group representing Jewish teachers and students across the city \u2014 is demanding the posts be removed immediately and that the YDSA group provide a public apology to the school community.<\/p>\n
\u201cNYC public schools have seen hundreds of antisemitic and anti-Israel incidents since October 7, 2023,\u201d he wrote in an email yesterday to Stuyvesant Principal Seung Yu and New York City Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels. \u201cWhen a school-recognized club amplifies this rhetoric, it risks contributing to a hostile environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the missive, Spern invoked Title VI \u2014 the federal law that bans discrimination based on race, shared ancestry and national origin \u2014 and demanded a review of the YDSA chapter\u2019s charter, faculty adviser and recent activities for compliance.<\/p>\n
Spern also cited a chancellor\u2019s regulation that states that student clubs operate under the principal\u2019s supervision and must remain consistent with the school\u2019s educational goals.<\/p>\n
Yu did not respond to requests for comment. Mamdani\u2019s Department of Education also did not respond to Playbook.<\/p>\n
Spern told Playbook today that he has yet to receive a response from Yu.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo flat out ignore it is extremely irresponsible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The NYC-DSA defended the organization.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe support the right to organize,\u201d NYC-DSA co-Chair Gustavo Gordillo said in a statement. \u201cNYC-DSA did not organize or endorse this particular rally, but red scare tactics have never been effective tools for engaging with student movements.\u201d<\/p>\n
The social media uproar is the latest flashpoint in ongoing tensions in the city over Hamas\u2019 Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the war that followed.<\/p>\n
Mamdani, a longtime critic of Israel, was reluctant to condemn<\/a> the term \u201cglobalize the intifada\u201d on the campaign trail last year before finally saying he will not use the term<\/a>. He also drew bipartisan backlash<\/a> over his statement marking the third anniversary of the attack. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu labeled the mayor an antisemite<\/a>, which Mamdani has denied.<\/p>\n Mamdani, though, has also simultaneously faced backlash from pro-Palestinian activists who accused him of betraying the Palestinian cause by retaining Tisch, who\u2019s Jewish and a self-described Zionist. Those critics have also criticized him for not doing enough to prevent local synagogues from holding events that promote land sales in Israel, some of them in the occupied West Bank. \u2014 Madina Tour\u00e9<\/p>\n Q\u2019S LATEST: Gov. Kathy Hochul has a 55-41 lead over Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman, a Quinnipiac University poll<\/a> released this afternoon found.<\/p>\n That 14-point advantage is narrower than the 19-point lead Quinnipiac gave Hochul last month. But it\u2019s more in line with the numbers from other pollsters: Marist found Hochul up by 11<\/a> two weeks ago, Emerson had Hochul up 12<\/a> in early October, and Siena measured her lead at 9 points<\/a> last month.<\/p>\n Despite Hochul\u2019s lead, the Q Poll concluded Blakeman has an enthusiasm advantage. A total of 65% of his backers were \u201cvery enthusiastic\u201d to support him, while only 33% of Hochul\u2019s supporters said the same. \u2014 Bill Mahoney<\/p>\n LANDER DETAINED: Democratic congressional candidate Brad Lander was detained today by Israeli security officials while harvesting olives in the West Bank.<\/p>\n Lander, a self-described liberal Zionist and critic of Israel<\/a>, said he went to the West Bank<\/a> as part of the \u201cProtect the Harvest\u201d coalition to support Palestinians gathering crops.<\/p>\n Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO of T\u2019ruah, a progressive rabbinical organization, said she was also detained Wednesday, along with \u201capproximately 80 American, Israeli, and international volunteers providing a protective presence for Palestinian farmers.\u201d According to a press release from T\u2019ruah, there were \u201capproximately two hours of peaceful harvesting\u201d until \u201cIsraeli forces declared the area a closed military zone\u201d and detained them to transport them to a police station, despite the volunteers agreeing to leave.<\/p>\n An Israeli military official told POLITICO that officers from the Israel Defense Forces and Border Police, along with local police, arrived at the scene because Palestinians did not submit a request to coordinate harvesting in that area, which is required ahead of time. The official added that the farm in question \u201crequires only a small number of harvesters to collect its produce\u201d and \u201cthe security establishment views the arrival of dozens of activists as an act intended solely to provoke, which undermines the harvesting process.\u201d<\/p>\n Lander was released \u201conce the matter was brought to our attention\u201d that he is a congressional candidate, the official said.<\/p>\n Lander confirmed in a social media post<\/a> that he was released with a \u201cwarning\u201d because of his \u201cpublic profile.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more from Madison Fernandez in POLITICO<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2014 MUSK: Elon Musk has spent more than $500,000 to support Rep. Mike Lawler\u2019s reelection bid against Democratic challenger Cait Conley. (Gothamist<\/a>)<\/p>\n \u2014 STOP: New York City deployed 600 red light cameras to intersections, the maximum number allowed under state law. (New York Daily News<\/a>)<\/p>\n \u2014 MEASLES: In the wake of a measles crisis, the state Health Department remains locked in a court battle with Amish schools over religious vaccine exemptions. (The New York Times<\/a>)<\/p>\n Missed this morning\u2019s New York Playbook? We forgive you. Read it here<\/a>.<\/p>\nFrom the Capitol<\/h3>\n
FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL<\/h3>\n
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