(TRENTON) – Senator Loretta Weinberg today released the following statement:
“The painting of swastikas on Maywood and Hackensack synagogues is a disgusting act of vandalism which must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
“But there is another situation which, while not physically destructive, is nonetheless even more potentially damaging. At yesterday’s town hall, the governor had to listen to one young man explain his belief that he is the victim of a conspiracy that exists between the ‘Jewish community that controls the township of Springfield and its school board.’ While they were not spray painted on the side of a house of worship, those words drip with the very same anti-Semitism.
“I am certain that the governor’s response was made to diffuse an awkward situation and prevent it from becoming worse. The governor had a moment to strongly denounce not only the anti-Jewish sentiment of the young man’s words, but also the place from which they came. The governor took the opportunity to denounce all forms of prejudice, but missed the chance to directly educate this young man about the dangers of stereotyping which would have made for his best YouTube moment since his denunciation of anti-Muslim sentiment leveled against one of his nominees.
“This time of year, especially, must be a time when we give no quarter to words of hate.”