New York City’s deputy mayor for communications, Fabien Levy, has accused the Washington Post of promoting an “antisemitic trope” in an article about high-powered executives urging Mayor Eric Adams to shut down anti-Israel protests at Columbia University. The article, titled “Business titans privately urged NYC mayor to use police on Columbia protesters, chats show,” highlighted a WhatsApp chat involving wealthy Americans who support Israel advocating for police intervention.
Levy criticized the Post for insinuating that Jewish donors were secretly influencing government operations, calling it offensive and antisemitic. However, a Post insider defended the article, stating that the paper covers influential individuals regardless of their race or religion.
The article did not mention the religion of the chat participants but identified individuals like ex-Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and Dell founder Michael Dell. Columbia University recently faced protests over its handling of anti-Israel demonstrations, leading to a “no confidence” vote against President Nemat Shafik.
Mayor Adams’ office condemned the Washington Post’s coverage, with Levy expressing further outrage on social media. The incident at Columbia involving anti-Israel agitators barricading a building and the subsequent police intervention has sparked controversy, with Levy and others criticizing the portrayal of Jewish influence in the situation.
The Washington Post has not responded to Levy’s statements, and the debate over the article’s implications continues.
Source
Photo credit www.foxnews.com