Jews Upset Sharpton Invited To Speak At Crown Heights Riot Panel

Image of Sharpton courtesy of stocklight / Shutterstock.com

Tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of the Crown Heights riot, which erupted after a 7-year-old black boy, Gavin Cato, was killed by a Hasidic driver and, three hours later, a 29-year-old Australian Orthodox Jewish scholar, Yankel Rosenbaum, was fatally stabbed. A Long Island rabbi invited a number of figures to speak at a panel this weekend, but one invitee—the Reverend Al Sharpton—has various Jewish groups, as well as Rosenbaum's relatives, up in arms.

"It's just an absolute disgrace," said Norman Rosenbaum, the brother of Yankel Rosenbaum, to the Post, adding that Sharpton's "vile rhetoric incited the rioting." The Post reminds, "Sharpton was criticized at the time for saying, in a eulogy for Gavin, that he wasn't killed by a car accident but by 'the social accident of apartheid.' He led 400 protesters, chanting 'No justice, no peace' despite pleas by then-Mayor David Dinkins for calm." But Rabbi Marc Schneier insisted, "It's an opportunity to have a frank and open exchange, and to clear the air. It is not a discussion about Crown Heights [in 1991]. It's about the state of black and Jewish relations 20 years later," adding, "So the discussion will involve Rev. Sharpton’s connection with the Jewish community today."

Assemblyman Dov Hikind said of Sharpton, "This is not a person who has brought people together. This is a guy who was divisive, racist and has never addressed the issue. He is the last person who should be at this forum.” For his part, Sharpton might skip the whole thing, telling the Daily News, "I may or may not go. I refuse to play into their extremism. If it is not an event that will heal, it is not an event that I will partake in."

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By Jen Chung in News on August 18, 2011 3:53 PM

Comments [rss]

Linda Samuels

Sharpton did a great job bringing the Treyvon Martin case to public attention and getting an indightment. Now if he'd only apologise.

iam draize

Whatever the merits of Sharpton, the Crown heights riots were caused by racism. There can hardly be a group more against assimilation and for preserving their enthnic and racial purity that the Hasidim.

Its one thing to tolerate a group of 'white' racist, its another thing for the city to give them preferential treatment, and consider them some sort of oppressed minority, when they're nothing more than bigots.

Mr Mel

Steven Pagones, one of the prosecutors on the Tawana Brawley case, was accused by her as being one of the rapists. Absurd as it may seem the Reverend Sharpton backed her story up and was sued by Pagones for defamation. He won the suit and was awarded $345,000. I don't believe he was ever paid. The Rabbi should know better than to give this deadbeat Racist a platform.

whitecastlerock

Sharpton's debt was paid for by his "supporters"...

John Joyce

*cough* tawanabrawley *cough*

shutyourmouthuseyourbrain

wank on...

Greg Froober

Sharpton, being one of the most prominent racists that the city has to offer, has no business speaking at any event. Unless, of course, that event is "how to be a prominent racist and profit from it"

missx

No one demands blacks listen to the gripes of those who committ hate crimes on them. The black on Jewish and black on Asian hate crimes of the 90's was as bad as what whites did to blacks. The scapegoating of Jews and Asians by blacks is as bad as what people are doing to Muslims now. No one calls the white on black, or anti-Muslims hate crimes "disputes between communties".

Peanut_Butter

You lost me at "no one".

whitecastlerock

Sharpton is once again playing the role of the artful dodger–the artful tax dodger...

Gwinny

I don't like Dov Hikind, but his comment about Sharpton being divisive is seems to be proven by the subsequent quote from Sharpton ("I refuse to play into their extremism.")