A coalition of more than 40 community groups in New York City has gathered to denounce a planned trip by members of the City Council to Israel.
Members of the Muslim community and other major constituencies gathered outside City Hall to call on 14 members of the council to cancel the delegation.
“As pressure mounts against racism and militarized policing in our country, particularly in New York City, we are strongly opposed to the decision of members of the City Council to tour Israel, an apartheid state and one of the global centers of militarized and race-based policing,” the groups stated a statement.
New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito is set to pay a nine day visit to Israel, leading a delegation that includes another 14 members on February 15.
In a letter sent to the members of the council, the groups wrote, “We believe this City Council trip would be a dangerous symbolic gesture of normalizing Israeli’s apartheid state.”
“Israel is a contributor to the militarization of police in NYC and around the country. Israeli counter-terrorism operations that seek to suppress and control Palestinians have been a model for US policing practices, including the NYPD unit which carried out surveillance of Muslims and racial-profiling of people of color,” the letter read.
In response to the protests, Councilmember David Greenfield said, “Anti-semitic groups are trying to stop NYC Council Members from traveling to Israel next month.”
Eric Koch, the spokesman for the City Council, also reiterated that the delegation will visit Israel as it is planned.
“New York City and Israel have deep and long-lasting cultural, economic and educational ties and the Speaker and Council delegation are looking forward to a productive and informative trip,” said Koch.
