Author: DAMON K JONES

The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) and Majlis Ash Shura: Islamic Leadership Council of New York today condemned Westchester County Executive George Latimer’s refusal to say that all Muslims are not part of Hamas in a Facebook post relating to his New York Times exposé. The Westchester Black Political Conference (WBPC) recently urged Westchester County Executive George Latimer to respond to a New York Times exposé on Israeli demolitions of Palestinian buildings in a Facebook post. In the post, Latimer writes to WBPC, “I support the release of kidnapped hostages and Hamas renouncing violence to…

According to reports, Latimer’s campaign is receiving support from the Global Strategy Group (GSG), a polling and public relations firm with ties to the corporate wing of the Democratic Party. GSG has a history of anti-union activities, including working for Amazon against unionization efforts. Despite this, GSG has been involved with various Democratic clients, including some progressives. The controversy surrounding GSG erupted in 2022 when it was revealed that the firm had been hired by Amazon explicitly for its efforts to prevent unionization at the Staten Island JFK8 fulfillment center. Reports detailed GSG’s dissemination of anti-union materials, including flyers and…

In a recent Facebook post, the organization, the Westchester Black Political Conference (WBPC), challenged County Executive George Latimer to address a New York Times exposé on Israeli demolitions of Palestinian buildings. The article described how Israel destroyed hundreds of buildings that could prevent residents from returning home in violation of humanitarian law. Given the Times’ reporting and Latimer’s ties to pro-Israel donors,The organization named him “Genocide George” for refusing to address his foreign policy’s human impact. Latimer called the post a “vicious and unfair attack.” I wondered why questioning the loss of Palestinian life is an attack while his social…

MLK, THE BLACK POWER ICON, A LION IN THE MIST OF CUBS As a young black man, I was always taught that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a go-along-to-get-along leader. As I became a man, I learned that what the media and many black leaders were teaching us about Dr. King was entirely wrong! Dr. King was much more than the “I Have a Dream” speech. Dr. King wanted America to be held accountable for its “Promise.” The creed “all men are created equal” means that people keep certain inalienable rights that are innate in all human beings, according…

County Executive George Latimer is running against Representative Jamaal Bowman, a Democrat from New York. It’s important to note that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s Political Action Committee (AIPAC PAC), a Republican-funded action committee, provides significant financial support to Latimer’s campaign. AIPAC has contributed over $600,000 to Latimer’s campaign, which makes up 42% of his total campaign contributions of $1.4 million as reported to the Federal Election Commission. If a candidate receives more financial support from Republicans than Democrats, can they still be considered a Democratic candidate? I remember a similar situation when former Mayor Andre Wallace, a registered…

A federal court in California has initiated a civil case accusing United States President Joe Biden and other senior US officials of complicity in Israel’s actions in Gaza. The lawsuit, filed by the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) on behalf of various parties, alleges that Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin failed to prevent and were complicit in Israel’s actions, which the plaintiffs describe as a “genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza. FEDERAL CASE PDF During the recent court proceedings, lawyers, activists, and organizers, including doctors in Gaza, presented information about the situation that Palestinians…

Since the start of Israel’s military operation in Gaza on October 7th, the conflict has resulted in the tragic loss of over 25,000 Palestinian lives, with an alarming 70 percent of the casualties being women and children. A particularly distressing dimension of this ongoing conflict has been Israel’s deliberate targeting of hospitals and medical infrastructure, further worsening the already dire state of Gaza’s healthcare system, which has endured a 16-year blockade. On a significant note, Israel encircled and bombarded Al-Shifa, Gaza’s largest hospital, over several days before launching a raid on the facility. Israel claimed the presence of a Hamas…

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) recently ordered Israel to take several provisional measures in response to a case brought by South Africa alleging Israel committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The measures aim to protect Palestinians from further harm while the case proceeds. Specifically, the ICJ ordered Israel to: Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, welcomed the ruling as an important reminder that international law has a crucial role in preventing genocide and protecting victims. She said the decision sends a message that the world is watching what’s happening in Gaza and will not stay silent. However, Callamard stressed…

In a recent report by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, it was revealed that sixteen school districts in the state have been designated as experiencing varying levels of fiscal stress for the school year ending June 30, 2023. This marks a slight increase from the previous year when 14 districts were in fiscal stress. However, the current numbers remain significantly lower than the 33 districts that faced fiscal stress in 2019. The reduction in the number of school districts facing fiscal stress can be attributed to increased temporary federal aid and growth in state aid. These financial injections…

Under the Teach Action Fund, the Teach organization is supporting George Latimer and actively attempting to persuade Republicans to change their party affiliation from Republican to Democrat in order to remove Congressman Jamaal Bowman from office. Their website prominently features the slogan “COMMUNITY OVER PARTY.” The website highlights the upcoming election on June 25, which hinges on the Democratic primary. The key message is the importance of electing a candidate who prioritizes ensuring the safety and welfare of the Jewish community. It’s essential to understand that only registered Democrats are eligible to participate in this pivotal election. However, the organization…