As a Reverend and a man of deep faith, I am heartbroken over military conflicts that exist throughout the world and the resulting loss of life. This is especially painful in the Middle East, particularly on and after October 7, 2023. The murderous horrors perpetrated by Hamas against Israelis and the taking of innocent people as hostage were vile, barbaric and can never be justified.
The resulting near year and a half of war has brought unrelenting pain and suffering to Palestinians and Israelis. I pray that the deal announced on January 15th holds so that all the hostages will come home, as well as the remains of those who have been murdered in captivity so they may be buried with love and dignity, allowing their families to grieve. I mourn the tens of thousands of innocent Israeli and Palestinian lives that have been lost. The deal announced also contemplates future phases with the goal of a permanent cessation to the war. With God’s help, it will be achieved. There are many issues yet to be addressed, but it is my hope that the healing and rebuilding process can begin soon. It includes my own acknowledgement of past errors and reflections.
That means I should not have said “genocide” in a previous tweet as I better understand the ramifications and don’t believe the people of Israel seek to eliminate Palestinians, nor vice versa. It means the need to continually uplift the impact on Palestinian women and children, along with the understanding of how people here in the United States are daily feeling the pain. It means that I should have made certain that my original statement on the hostages needing to come home should have been broadly posted across social media. It’s never my intent to hurt anyone so I was wrong and apologize. I’m learning along this journey too.
This is also an opportunity for me to dispel any confusion and misinformation being spread about my position. Allow me to set the record straight:
- On October 7, 2023, Hamas broke an existing cease-fire agreement and launched an inhumane attack against Israel – the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust. Hamas’s brutality and evil are evident by the videos they proudly made as they maimed and slaughtered 1,200 innocent people in cold blood and took 251 hostages. There is no justification for these evil attacks and the perpetrators must be brought to justice. Israel, like any other country, has the right to defend itself and to ensure the safety of its people and the security of its borders.
- I recognize the innocent Palestinians who have been killed in the war and the emotional toll they are experiencing and will continue to experience once this war has ended. I have compassion and empathy for the loss of all innocent lives and for all the families who have been torn apart since October 7, 2023.
- Israel has a right to exist. Any call for the elimination of Israel is antisemitic. Similarly, Palestinians should also have their own state that is recognized by the United States. Although it is far more arduous now than ever, the best chance for peace and security in the region remains a two-state solution where Israelis and Palestinians each have their own sovereign lands.
- According to the Anti-Defamation League, incidents of antisemitism in the United States rose by 140% in the one-year period after October 7, 2023. Our Jewish sisters and brothers rightly feel under attack and vulnerable. They need to know they have allies who will stand with them shoulder to shoulder against antisemitism. Count me in.
- I support freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. While the right to say hateful things may be protected by the Constitution, that does not make them right. The destruction of property and seeking to inflict pain are never acceptable; and calling for the elimination of Israel is antisemitic.
- I have been critical of the Israeli Government – not the Israeli people – for how it has conducted aspects of the war in Gaza and the tragic loss of innocent civilian life. All life is precious.
As a Black, Christian man who was once baptized in the Jordan River and understands that Jesus was a Jewish man of color, it is incredibly painful to watch, and even more emotionally complex to process, all that has happened during this extended conflict. Moreover, when tragedy strikes after October 7th, such as when the World Central Kitchen vehicle was struck in Gaza killing all in the envoy, including our beloved Zuri who served meals with us in The Bronx during COVID, it adds even more intensity to all of our emotions and the ever-continual reflections and conversations.
Throughout the past fifteen months, I have prayed for peace in the region and the return of the hostages, mourned the loss of Israeli and Palestinian lives, and asked for God’s wisdom. I have had many raw, painful, and heartfelt conversations with our Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters. Their collective pain must be heard and neither group can be minimized.
I actively sought to discuss these issues with Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and secular leaders. As stated earlier, I have learned that in my earlier tweet, in trying to convey my horror at the loss of innocent lives, my use of the word “genocide” was wrong, and I apologize. Albeit unintentional, my misuse of such a powerful word was offensive and hurtful to Jews and many others, especially to my Jewish brothers and sisters who equate that word with the genocide perpetrated by the Nazis during the Holocaust, where six million Jews were systematically murdered. I do not believe the people of Israel are seeking to eliminate Palestinians, just as I don’t believe Palestinians wish to destroy the people of Israel. Hamas, a terrorist organization, is the clear enemy of both Palestinians and Israelis.
Words matter and I should have found different ones to express my concern and been more thoughtful about their impact before I posted the tweet. As a leader, it’s important to acknowledge that learning and listening are a part of my daily journey. I heard you. I am with you. I apologize to you.
While I clearly stated my overall view in a statement and on Instagram, in this world of social media, where we see bits of information in isolation, I should have also made sure to post my full thoughts on Twitter/X. It was not my intent to be hurtful or to offend anyone.
As Martin Luther King, Jr. Day approaches this Monday, January 20th, it is appropriate to remember that Blacks and Jews are joined at the hip in the struggle against oppression. During the civil rights movement in the 1960’s, Dr. King and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel were not only friends, but kindred spirits. They believed Jewish Americans and African Americans had a responsibility for each other’s liberation and to fight human suffering around the world. I learned the depth of this historical bond when I attended a powerful Interfaith Black and Jewish celebration during a commemoration weekend of Dr. King’s assassination.
I am running to become Mayor of New York City, one of the most religiously diverse cities in the United States, so that we may realize our dreams in our collective home of New York. That diversity is our strength. If elected, I pledge to be Mayor for all New Yorkers and lead by respecting and protecting religious differences. First, I will have zero tolerance for hate of any kind in my administration. Second, I will work with the various district attorneys’ offices to ensure that hate crimes are aggressively prosecuted. Third, I will establish a multi-faith board of advisors, whose counsel I will seek on matters requiring faith-based solutions.
Let us, together, reject all forms of hate. Let us walk together – all of us – arm in arm as Brothers and Sisters, using each day to create a time of peace, committed to the daily pursuit to realize the dream and principle of love thy neighbor as thyself because Tomorrow Begins Today.
