DSA TROUBLES: The New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America is facing a political firestorm after the organization promoted a pro-Palestine rally in the wake of Hamas militants’ attacks on Israeli communities that killed hundreds of people. The group did not organize Sunday’s rally, its leadership said Monday. But several lawmakers with DSA ties are distancing themselves from what was said at the event. “It should not be hard to shut down hatred and antisemitism where we see it. That is a core tenet of solidarity,†Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement to Playbook late Monday — her first comments on the rally. “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. Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani of Queens is another Democratic lawmaker who has been elected with DSA support in recent years. “My support for Palestinian liberation should never be confused for a celebration of the loss of civilian life,†Mamdani said in a statement to Playbook on Monday. “I condemn the killing of civilians and rhetoric at a rally [on Sunday] seeking to make light of such deaths.†The success of some DSA members has also caused friction within Democratic politics at the state and city level as more institutional leaders push back (Both top Democrats in the state Legislature over the weekend condemned the rally.). Mamdani, for example, drew criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike for a proposal this year meant to penalize New York charities that provide support for Israeli settlements. And Mamdani in a separate statement was also critical of the Israeli government and called for “ending the occupation and dismantling apartheid.†Support for Israel has historically been a bedrock principle in New York politics; the state has more Jews outside of Israel than anywhere in the world. New York leaders in both parties often make trips there, burnishing their ties with Jewish communities back home. For the DSA, however, supporting candidates who are critical of Israel is nothing new. The New York City DSA in 2020 asked City Council candidates if they would pledge not to travel to Israel, which drew backlash. Still, none of the DSA-affiliated elected officials attended the rally Sunday. And not all of the DSA legislators co-sponsor Mamdani’s to pull the charitable status from groups that support Israeli settlements. In a statement, NYC-DSA steering committee member Nadia Tykulsker told Playbook the group promoted the event “at the request of a coalition partner because we believe in equality and justice for all Palestinians and Israelis, and we know that war will take more lives.†The group opposes harming and targeting civilians, Tykulsker said. “It is shameful that politicians in our state are exploiting this moment to target a socialist organization and divide the vibrant left in New York — whose sole aim in politics is to grow the power of working people for freedom against exploitation and oppression — instead of focusing our attention where it should be: on the atrocities and tragic loss of life in the region,†she added. Nevertheless, mainstream Democrats are knocking the DSA’s promotion of the rally. Gov. Kathy Hochul told reporters Monday she condemned everyone involved. New York Democratic Chair Jay Jacobs told Playbook he expects there will be political repercussions for elected officials who have been endorsed by the organization, which includes high-profile figures like Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Jamaal Bowman, who have been reelected by wide margins. “I think anything like this gives voters an indication of what this group stands for,†Jacobs said. “Candidates who run with that endorsement or state they are members of the group, they’ll face the electorate, and I think they’ll see the consequences.†— Nick Reisman NEW YORK LEADERS MOURN: — Hochul spoke at a “We Stand with Israel†rally at Congregation Beth Emeth synagogue in Albany. “Yes, there will be a war,†she said Monday. “But it will be a just war.†— Mayor Eric Adams honored victims of the terror attack at Golda Meir Square in Manhattan. “Yes, I stand with Israel. Yes, I stand with the Jewish community. But most importantly, I stand with humanity,†he told the crowd Monday. — Rep. Dan Goldman was in Tel Aviv on Saturday with his family when sirens warning of the attack woke him up. “Three little kids, my wife, and we had 90 seconds to get to the interior stairwell of the hotel, which is what the shelter is for large hotels,†he recounted Monday to NY1. IT’S TUESDAY. Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman. WHERE’S KATHY? Speaking at the annual Fallen Firefighters Memorial ceremony in Albany and then delivering remarks at “New York Stands with Israel†vigil and rally. WHERE’S ERIC? Calling in to La Mega 97.9 FM., getting vaccinated again against COVID-19, holding an in-person media availability, speaking at the UJA-Federation of New York and the Jewish Community Relations Council’s “New York Stands with Israel†vigil and rally, celebrating a French shipping company’s acquisition of terminals in the Port of New York and New Jersey, delivering remarks at an annual gala for Children’s Hope India. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “These are the donations we spoke about last night before we went to sleep.†— Then-candidate George Santos in a text to his then-treasurer, Nancy Marks, that prosecutors say helps show the pair plotted to file reports with fake contributions.
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