Condemnation of Gaza Crisis by NY AG Letitia James, Yet Hamas Omission Not Mentioned Until Prompted by New York Post
In a recent development, New York State Attorney General Letitia James has circulated a petition to end the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. The petition, signed by over 60 Democratic federal, state, and city elected officials, including Rep. Jerold Nadler and NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, calls for Americans to speak out, support relief efforts, and demand that leaders use diplomacy to end the crisis.
Initially, the petition did not condemn Hamas for the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. However, hours later, James' office sent out a news release with a new version of the letter that not only called for immediate aid to Gaza but also condemned Hamas, specifically the October 7th massacre perpetrated by the organisation.
State Assemblyman Charles Fall, a Democrat representing parts of Staten Island, and Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan, signed onto the petition, stating that the Gaza crisis is a "humanitarian issue." Fall, who has two daughters, ages 6 and 11, emphasised that the letter is balanced and discusses the hostages in Gaza.
Councilwoman Inna Vernikov (D-Brooklyn) criticised the original draft of the letter through a spokesperson, expressing concerns about its lack of condemnation of Hamas.
The petition was on behalf of a coalition of multiracial, multiethnic, and multifaith elected officials. However, Anti-Israel Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a Queens socialist who James is endorsing in November's NYC mayoral election, was not among the letter's signatories. Mamdani is currently vacationing in Uganda through the end of the month.
While there are no search results directly addressing the status of support for condemning the terrorist organization Hamas by signatories of the petition, the new version of the letter unequivocally condemns the actions of Hamas.
"Any acknowledgment of a humanitarian crisis without addressing its cause - a terrorist regime that uses civilians as human shields - is dishonest. Ignoring that reality isn't compassion; it's complicity," a spokesperson for James' office added.
The spokesperson for Assemblyman Fall also noted that the letter is balanced and discusses the hostages in Gaza, emphasising the humanitarian aspect of the crisis.
In response to criticism, James' office initially declined to comment on the original draft of the petition. However, following the release of the revised letter, James' office has made it clear that the petition's intention was to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza while also condemning the actions of Hamas.
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