
Laurie Cumbo, New York City Councilwoman-elect and ally of newly elected mayor Bill de Blasio, just outed herself as an anti-Semite. In a 1,200 word Facebook post, she wrote that the “knockout game” violence stems from growing concern about Jewish influence. Cumbo is the councilwoman elect from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Crown Heights. To imply that this vicious and deadly “game” stems from racial tension, from blacks fearing Jews, is outrageous and dangerously anti-Semitic. It does not address the root of the problem, which is racial targeting by blacks, with the designated targets being Jewish. Other people have been seriously injured, even killed. It’s racist all right, but Cumbo has it reversed.
NYC Councilwoman elect Laurie Cumbo is playing a dangerous game. She’s a black woman who is about to represent the Brooklyn neighborhood of Crown Heights, an area where there have been numerous reported victims of the “knockout” game. On November 9th, a 19-year-old Hasidic Jewish man was a victim of the random attacks by a mob of eight blacks, and on November 10th, a 78-year-old Jewish woman was a another victim.
As of December 3rd, there have been at least ten Jewish victims of the “knockout game.” There is a possibility that there are many more victims. However, there is little mention of the perpetrators. Some have been apprehended, but since the attacks happen so fast and at random, catching the perpetrators is difficult. As Laurie Cumbo explains, “It’s the Jews’ fault.” The black knockout thugs fear oppression from Jews. The rampant antisemitism in this assertion is shocking and could spark more violence in the area.
“Many African-American/Caribbean residents expressed a genuine concern that as the Jewish community continues to grow, they would be pushed out by their Jewish landlords or by Jewish families looking to purchase homes,” Cumbo wrote. ”I respect and appreciate the Jewish community’s family values and unity that has led to strong political, economic and cultural gains… While I personally regard this level of tenacity, I also recognize that for others, the accomplishments of the Jewish community triggers feelings of resentment, and a sense that Jewish success is not also their success.”