Battle brewing over pro-Israel resolution
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- January
- 19
UPDATE: Legislator Wolfe sent me an email this morning (01/20/09) saying he wanted to “clarify something.”
From the email, verbatim: “You mentioned that I didn’t want to hold a public meeting. That’s not entirely accurate, as both the committee meeting and full Legislature are public meetings and all are entitled to attend and be heard. What I said was that I wasn’t going to hold a public hearing, which is a much different thing.”
BACK TO THE ORIGINAL POST:
When the Rockland Legislature meets tomorrow, it is likely to consider a resolution calling for the government body to recognize Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas. The measure has been proposed by Legislator Alden Wolfe, D-Suffern.
Hamas governs Gaza, where fighting began Dec. 27 after Israel launched an air attack and followed with a land invasion. A cease fire was agreed upon by the two sides Sunday. Israel said it attacked Gaza to get at Hamas terrorists, which have been firing rockets onto Israel. Hamas was democratically elected by the Palestinian people, but Israel, the U.S. and other nations consider it a terror organization.
Wolfe is among those strongly opposed to Hamas. He outlines his reasons in a proposed resolution that is 3-plus pages long.
But he’s meeting up with opposition from those who say the resolution is unfair and one-sided.
Alan Levin, of Nyack, has created an online petition so like-minded Rocklanders can voice their view on the resolution. He, and others, want the measure to be voted down or postponed until all the issues regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be discussed in a public forum.
Levin, who also wonders if it is county government’s role to pass a resolution regarding another nation’s foreign policy, has also written to the Legislature to express his views.
So far, Wolfe says he won’t hold a public meeting.
The Legislature meets at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Allison-Parris County Office Building, 11 New Hempstead Road in New City. The public can speak on the resolution. Sign up when you arrive for the meeting. Each person gets up to two minutes.
Keep reading for the full texts of Wolfe’s resolution and Levin’s letter to the Legislature. We’ll also have a story in The Journal News and on LoHud.com later.
This entry was posted
on Monday, January 19th, 2009 at 8:41 pm by Laura Incalcaterra. 
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I say we need to stay out of it. I am tired of helping a country that has said and continues to say we don’t need America’s help. It doesnt appear to me that neither Israel nor palestine want peace. so let them settle on their own and let the U.N do or not do their job. We have enough issues here at home. so how about promoting US nationalism and care about our current crisis. we dont have the money to help ourselves you want to help yet another country with money we dont have. wonderful.
I don’t appreciate the Rockland County Legislature using our valuable taxpayer time and resources to consider this ongoing controversial foreign policy issue. It seems more an attempt to pander to particular constituents then to effect any tangible impact on the ongoing debate or appreciably serve the needs of the diverse people of Rockland County.
Why no resolutions for Darfur? Congo? Again, we see local politicians railroading official public apparatus to petition for their particular pet issues.
Even more insulting is the lack of any serious attempt to quantify whether or not there is actually a consensus among Rockland residents on this deeply complex issue. Did Mr. Wolfe conduct any surveys? Did he solicit citizen input beforehand? Or, rather, did he consider the wishes of his own circle of supporters and donors who will be grateful for his outspoken service to Israel?
Without even taking a side in this unfortunate MidEast conflict, I wonder if there would be outcry if I was elected Legislature and used the committee’s time to further a resolution asserting my preferred view that the Beatles are better then Elvis? That Macs are superior to PCs?
We must seriously grow up and recognize the function of local government is to serve the needs of the community. Mr. Wolfe’s resolution represents the sad politics of preference, joining Joe Lieberman and Eliot Engel in mistaking their own imbalanced championing of Israels causes as also a priority of their constituents.
In this new “age of responsibility” we should recognize the relationship between candidates and donors in seeing our local politics have been turned into a PR vehicle for pro-Israeli sentiments. Instead of mis-representing the entirety of Rockland County as being of one mind on the issue, why doesn’t Mr. Wolfe find a more appropriate venue for his personal opinions and buy a billboard ad somewhere, stage a rally, or perhaps volunteer for the IDF?
Gus it looks like its just you and me. Everyone else likes our money being wasted on this crap.
and i agree The Beatles are way better than Elvis!
Isnt it interesting that every resoloution that has to do with “Jews” Joe Meyers is involved. From Swastikas to Israel, Joe Meyeres makes sure to have his name on it!!! Intresting that on resoloutions that do absoloutly nothing he puts his name on it but when it comes to attacking “Jews” in Ramapo he is all over. So instead of siging onto “waste of time, accomplishes nothing” resoloutins, why not try to help your breathern here in Ramapo instead of looking to harm them. Or is your name attatched to it so you can come “show” that you dont hate Jews?????? do something concreate!!!