Hoboken officials condemn antisemitic comments resident made during council meeting
Council Member Phil Cohen, who is Jewish, denounced the remarks and said that it is important to call out antisemitism when it is seen.
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Hoboken officials are denouncing what they say are antisemitic comments made by a woman during Wednesday night’s City Council meeting.
The woman spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting.
She started by addressing Council Member Phil Cohen, who is Jewish. She voiced her concerns that trees around Hoboken have been ripped out and were not replaced. She then said she was upset by how the council members voted.
The woman then got upset that one of the council members was reading something while she was speaking.
Her next point of concern was about the judges in the city.
"To call it diversity is a bunch of baloney. It's about as diverse as all the people who were plucked out of a synagogue and all the synagogues that run the city of Hoboken,” the woman said.
Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla and Council President Emily Jabbour issued a statement Thursday about the incident.
“Comments like those made at the council meeting...will not be tolerated in our culturally diverse city, and we expect all who attend any public gatherings in Hoboken to conduct themselves with decorum and treat everyone in attendance, elected official or not, with respect and dignity,” they wrote.
Council Member Cohen also denounced the remarks and said that it is important to call out antisemitism when it is seen.
"I've gotten texts from people saying they were sorry that were directed at me and that they felt terrible about that. And I felt that tonight, So I want to say that there is no place in our community for antisemitism. It is sadly a part of American political life today,” he said.
Cohen added that he condemns comments like this and asked his fellow council members to do the same.
