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The New York assemblyman behind an effort to formally commemorate the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack in Israel lambasted leadership for tanking what was supposed to be a “poignant” bill remembering the tragedy.
Assemblyman Lester Chang, R-Brooklyn – one of the few GOP members from New York City in the 103-47 Democratic-majority chamber – said he had been working on a resolution for New York state to officially remember the terror attack since hostage negotiations began a year ago.
“I’m a Navy veteran of 24 years and I did a tour in Afghanistan. So I understand what war is all about,” said Chang. “I’ve seen atrocities out there.”
Once American figures like then-candidate Donald Trump began helping hostage negotiations, Chang said he directed his staff to craft a message – which he said took more than a month of back-and-forth to make sure it was “balanced” and did not have a partisan streak.
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“We submitted it in January, as a resolution, and it was rejected… because [leadership] said it was ‘controversial,'” Chang said.
“We were astounded but not surprised. So we converted it to a bill,” he said, adding that, in the end, a bill would be better because a resolution only commemorates an event for that year, while a bill would codify the remembrance for eternity.
With a handful of Democratic co-sponsors, Chang and colleagues believed they had the right balance to attempt to put it up for a vote, but as the New York Post reported, it was reportedly ultimately blocked by House Speaker Carl Heastie, D-Bronx, and other top Democrats.
Chang said the bill, destined for the smaller governmental operations committee, was redirected to the larger Ways and Means committee, and that four members were “switched out.”
The top Republican on that panel, Assemblyman Ed Ra, told the New York Post that remembering Oct. 7 and/or combating antisemitism should never be “political.”
Republican Assemblyman Ari Brown, who, like Ra, represents Long Island, accused Albany Democrats of “veiled antisemitism,” telling the Post the legislature is “rotten” with it.
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The assembly also tanked a resolution from Brown that complimented Chang’s bill.
Compounding that was, as Chang described, no GOP bills have been successfully put through the process at all this session.
“Having me as a Republican [sponsor] – that would [procedurally] choke them – not because of me, the person, but as a member of that party.”
Chang said he would just as soon “give this bill to a Democrat” to sponsor if it meant commemorating the Oct. 7 attack.
He added that, as a person of Chinese ancestry who represents largely Asian and Italian Bensonhurst, he has no religious horse in the race.
“That should make it more poignant as a non-Jewish person pushing this bill in a mostly Christian and Buddhist district,” he said.
At least seven Democrats did come out in support of the Oct. 7 remembrance legislation, all of whom hail from New York City.
Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, R-Niagara Falls, echoed Chang’s concerns in comments to Fox News Digital.
“Many New Yorkers had loved ones injured or worse in the terror attacks in Israel on Oct. 7,” Ortt said. “The least we can do is commemorate this tragic day.”
“Instead of taking commonsense action, Albany Democrats would rather play politics, and have time and again refused to defend our Jewish brothers and sisters.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Heastie for comment and response to the allegations but did not hear back.
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