A group of left-wing New York City Council members were denounced for refusing to vote in favour of adopting “End Jew Hatred Day” last week.
Condemnations against the local politicians came from the right and the left, the New York Post reported.
Republican Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, who is Jewish and sponsored the bill, told the New York Post that it was “unacceptable and deeply hurtful to hear elected officials say “no” to ending antisemitism.”
“After speaking on the floor about the atrocities of the Holocaust, I was sick to my stomach listening to the explanations on the “no” votes and abstentions on a simple resolution asking to proclaim a day to End Jew Hatred,” Vernikov said. “To those who escaped gas chambers and horrors of the Holocaust, I am ashamed.”
The motion to proclaim April 29 as End Jew Hatred Day in New York City passed on Thursday with 41 votes in favour, but also two no votes (Shahana Hanif and Sandra Nurse) and four abstentions (Rita Joseph, Alexa Avil&eacutes, Jennifer Guti&eacuterrez, and Charles Barron) – all Brooklyn Democrats.
Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY) slammed the council members who refused to vote in favour of the measure.

“Antisemitism has a long and ugly history. It has seen a resurgence in NYC with a record # of hate crimes,” he tweeted after the vote. “How can anyone vote against a resolution to end antisemitism?”
New York Republican Chair Ed Cox blamed far-left Democrats on the council for their “refusal to even acknowledge this reality and to express support for this historically victimized community,” saying that this “demonstrates their abandonment of decency and takeover by the socialist, antisemitic far left.”
End Jew Hatred Day, observed on April 29, was the idea of the Holocaust Museum and Center for Education and Tolerance in New York. April 29 was the day after Holocaust Remembrance Day that year.
The day has already been adopted by New York State and Long Island”s Nassau County.