March 20th, 2024

It angers me to see the upswing in hate speech targeting Jewish people and anyone supporting the right of Israel to exist as a nation. Recent social media posts of a degrading cartoon and a hateful letter of unknown authorship demonstrate a level of enmity and evil that has no place in our community.

The purpose of these vicious attacks is to target and intimidate those who support Israel. I refuse to be intimidated, nor will the Monroe County Legislature. We fly the flag of Israel as a symbol of support for those viciously attacked, murdered and taken hostage on October 7, 2023.

As a community, we welcome all points of view and embrace open discussion with civility and respect. The letter and cartoon referenced above reflect neither of those things. It is a race to the bottom by individuals hiding their identity to spread hate, division, and malice. I join all who condemn these hateful and cowardly acts.