Sen. Ted Cruz. (AP/Carolyn Kaster)
“The next time NYC’s mayor sends out a gleeful tweet about sending cops after Jews, the DOJ should investigate,” Cruz tweeted.
By Aaron Sull, World Israel News
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) blasted New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio for his “gleeful” tweet about closing a yeshiva for coronavirus violations.
“The next time NYC’s mayor sends out a gleeful tweet about sending cops after Jews, the Department of Justice should investigate to make sure he’s not violating constitutionally guaranteed religious liberties,” Cruz tweeted.
On Monday, the NYPD shut down an Orthodox Jewish seminary, or yeshiva, in Brooklyn after locals reported to officials that a large gathering of students was seen on the premises.
Following the closure, de Blasio tweeted, “Earlier today the NYPD shut down a Yeshiva conducting classes with as many as 70 children. I can’t stress how dangerous this is for our young people. We’re issuing a Cease and Desist Order and will make sure we keep our communities and our kids safe.”
In response to Cruz’s accusation, de Blasio’s press secretary, Freddie Goldstein, told Fox News that the mayor was not interested in Cruz’s “sudden interest” in ‘New York Values’.
“Enforcement is the last resort, but we will not stand idly by when it comes to gatherings that endanger New Yorkers,” Goldstein said.
This is the second time in under four weeks that Cruz attacked de Blasio’s “enthusiasm” in calling out the Jewish community when coronavirus regulations are violated.
In a letter to the DOJ last month, Cruz urged the department to “closely monitor New York City” for instances of “constitutional violations,” a reference to a funeral gathering for a prominent Brooklyn rabbi in which de Blasio personally participated in dispersing the crowd for coronavirus violations.
Following the funeral procession, de Blasio was attacked for condemning the entire Jewish community for the actions of a few.
“Something absolutely unacceptable happened in Williamsburg tonight: a large funeral gathering in the middle of this pandemic,” de Blasio tweeted at the time. “When I heard, I went there myself to ensure the crowd was dispersed. What I saw WILL NOT be tolerated so long as we are fighting the coronavirus.”
“My message to the Jewish community, and all communities, is this simple: the time for warnings has passed,” he wrote.
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