Reader’s Letters

To the editor: 

Lawler Is Silent When His Voice is Needed Most

Congressman Mike Lawler depends heavily on the Jewish vote in Rockland and Westchester Counties. To garner their support, he stands with Israel against the agents of Iran.

Last May, which was Jewish American Heritage Month, the House passed Lawler’s Antisemitism Awareness Act.

For all this publicity you would think that Lawler sincerely cares for the health and safety of the Jewish people. But when it comes to speaking up against power and money, Lawler is SILENT. He’s not alone, but he’s the one that represents me and a very large Jewish community. 

He’s feeding into the Breitbart playbook established by Steve Bannon that called for supporting Israel because Israel is the clear opponent to Palestine, Iran, and countries that Trump apparently abhors. But supporting Israel did not mean supporting the Jewish people. That’s because the Trump campaign depends on the radical right fringe of white nationalists that display their hate in their words and deeds while flying Nazi flags.

Since Trump took office the first time, hate crimes against Jewish New Yorkers rose by 89% between 2018 and 2023. 

Now we can expect more antisemitism since Elon Musk gave the Sieg Heil at Trump’s inauguration on national television followed by his X comment two days later denying the Holocaust!

This was the most disgusting, blatant public display of hate since the German American Bund was established in the United States in 1936. According to the Associated Press on January 22, 2025, white supremacist and neo-nazi groups stated that Musk’s gesture was a clear signal of antisemitism. In Germany, where it is illegal to perform this salute, the newspapers won’t even print a photo.

So where was the Jews’ friend Mike Lawler? Why didn’t he speak up? Why was he silent? Why is he complicit? If you don’t speak up you’re complicit!

Maybe Lawler didn’t speak up because Musk is his sugar daddy paying for his campaign.

I wouldn’t have expected Trump to criticize Musk, nor Johnson, nor Vance. But Congressman Lawler who prides himself on supporting the Jewish community, where are you? He’s busy  asking for money from Musk for his next campaign. The same Musk who now supports the far right Alternative for Germany, or AfD—with its antisemitic and other extreme views.

Where is Mike Lawler when antisemitism is displayed right in front of him? 

– Mark A. Lieberman

Yorktown, NY