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Community advocate claims actions taken by governor, mayor specifically targets Jews

Community advocate and self-proclaimed candidate for City Council Heshy Tischler says the actions taken by the governor and mayor to restrict Borough Park are targeting Jews especially.

News 12 Staff

Oct 16, 2020, 2:22 AM

Updated 1,527 days ago

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Community advocate and self-proclaimed candidate for City Council Heshy Tischler says the actions taken by the governor and mayor to restrict Borough Park are targeting Jews especially.
Pointing to the closing of schools, shops and limitations to religious gatherings as a way the governor says will help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
"What’s complicating it with this smaller number of groups, is that they really have not ever followed any of these rules,” said Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Tischler and others came together for a rally Thursday saying other neighborhoods are also ignoring the rules and that instead of putting the target on the backs of a specific religious group, the state should employ a more grassroots outreach approach.
Tischler says that many people of the Jewish faith are following state orders, like mask-wearing, but that the government's attitude towards the situation puts an entire demographic of people at risk.
Lawmakers have argued that the 32,000 tests done in cluster zones and 32 new testing sites are a grassroots approach.
Meanwhile, Mayor Bill de Blasio suggested that he would in some way block Gov. Cuomo’s threats to withhold funding from neighborhoods who are not in compliance with the rules. The governor pointed out that he, not the mayor, is the one with the final say.