Amid Hamas militants' attacks that claimed hundreds of lives in Israeli communities, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) organization finds itself embroiled in a political controversy for promoting a pro-Hamas rally.
The group's leadership clarified on Monday that they did not organize Sunday's rally. Nevertheless, several lawmakers affiliated with the DSA are now disassociating themselves from the statements made during the event.
“It should not be hard to shut down hatred and antisemitism where we see it. That is a core tenet of solidarity,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a statement to Politico Playbook. “The bigotry and callousness expressed in Times Square on Sunday were unacceptable and harmful in this devastating moment. It also did not speak for the thousands of New Yorkers who are capable of rejecting both Hamas’ horrifying attacks against innocent civilians as well as the grave injustices and violence Palestinians face under occupation,” she said. On Monday, Governor Kathy Hochul unequivocally denounced all those who participated. The New York Democratic Chair, Jay Jacobs, expressed his belief to Playbooko that there could be political ramifications for elected officials who have received endorsements from the organization.
Notably, this includes prominent figures such as Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Jamaal Bowman, who have won re-election by significant margins. Jacobs stated, "I think any such incident offers voters insights into the values of this group. Candidates who seek election with their endorsement or proudly declare membership in the organization will have to answer to the electorate, and I anticipate they will face the consequences." In Saratoga County, elected members of the Democratic Socialists of America have refrained from denouncing the violence against the Jewish people, Hamas, and the controversial rally promoted by their organization.
Saratoga Springs Supervisor Tara Gaston: In September 2019, Tara Gaston, who was then serving as the elected Supervisor in Saratoga Springs, publicly disclosed her membership in the DSA organization via a Facebook message, affirming, "am I a member of DSA? Yes. Have I ever hidden that? No." This status was reconfirmed by Gaston during an exchange at the League of Women Voters forum in 2019.
A review of Supervisor Gaston's publicly accessible social media profiles reveals that she did not take the opportunity to denounce the attacks on the people of Israel or condemn Hamas. This is somewhat unexpected, given Supervisor Gaston's history of actively addressing various topical social justice issues.
In an effort to gauge Supervisor Gaston's stance on the matter, Moving Saratoga Forward (MSF) contacted her to inquire if she would join her Democratic Party counterparts in condemning the DSA rally. Unfortunately, Supervisor Gaston did not respond to the inquiry.
Supervisor Gaston is not seeking re-election in the fall.
In contrast, Mayor Ron Kim did not remain silent on the issue. He released a statement condemning the attacks, and in response to Moving Saratoga Forward's request, Mayor Kim also expressed his disapproval of the DSA rally.
Saratoga Springs School District Trustee Natalya Lakhtakia: During her initial campaign for the Board of Education, Lakhtakia proudly showcased her DSA affiliation. As per information on the SSCSD website, Lakhtakia indicated her community involvement by stating that she was a "member of DSA."
In May 2021, Trustee Lakhtakia made a social media post declaring, "I am a member of DSA. I joined after AOC was elected. For the first time, I was seeing politics that reflect my beliefs on the national stage. I maintain my membership and am active in our local chapter."
Lakhtakia has a track record of leveraging her official position to express her views on pertinent social issues. In 2020, just a few weeks after George Floyd's tragic death, Lakhtakia endorsed a resolution to 'stand together against systemic racism.'
As of the current date, Moving Saratoga Forward has not identified any statement from Trustee Lakhtakia expressing solidarity with the people of Israel or publicly condemning the terrorist group, Hamas.
MSF reached out to Natalya to inquire whether she would join her fellow Democratic colleagues in denouncing the pro-Hamas DSA rally held in NYC, merely 24 hours after the terrorist attacks resulted in thousands of casualties in Israel. Regrettably, Trustee Lakhtakia did not respond to this outreach. Saratoga Springs Central School District: New York State Senator Jim Tedisco has endorsed a resolution seeking the removal of three DSA-affiliated state senators from their leadership and committee positions within the New York State Senate. Keeping this development in mind,
Moving Saratoga Forward reached out via email to Mike Patton, Superintendent of Saratoga Springs School District, and Tony Krackeler, the chairman of the board of education, inquiring whether the district had any plans to issue a statement or pass a resolution in support of the broader Jewish community in Saratoga Springs.
Unfortunately, neither of them responded to our request for comment.
Additionally, we also queried Mike and Tony regarding whether the Board of Education intended to reevaluate Trustee Lakhtakia's leadership and committee roles in light of her membership in the now-controversial DSA organization. Regrettably, both Superintendent Patton and Tony Krackeler did not provide any comment in response to this inquiry.
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