Jackson owes Singh an apology

(Re: Thanks to electeds backing, Oct. 18)

To the editor:

In his letter to the editor in last week’s Riverdale Press, local attorney and Jeff Dinowitz right-hand man Benjamin F. Jackson smears founding members of the Unity Democratic Club for allegedly not condemning a certain anti-Israel organization.

This is a disgusting attack, whose only purpose is to confuse and mislead the readers of this paper. 

After the horrific and violent attacks in Israel, the Unity Democrats issued a statement (still on our website for Mr. Jackson and Mr. Dinowitz to read) condemning “those here and abroad who are celebrating death and the attacks and using antisemitic tropes to stoke more hatred.”

As the president of the Unity Democrats, and an active member of the Riverdale Jewish community, as well as a proud and pro-Israel Jewish mother, I want it to be clear once and for all — Jeff Dinowitz does not speak for me. Nobody blessed him with the power of deciding who is and who is not pro-Israel enough. It’s sad that after 30 years in office, all Jeff Dinowitz seems to do these days is go around calling those who don’t support him antisemitic. He used to represent us. Now he divides us.

If Mr. Jackson had reached out to our community’s Democratic District Leader Ramdat Singh instead of writing baseless attacks in this paper, he would have found out that Mr. Singh is part of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) Bridges Program, and would be in Israel right now as part of that program, were it not for the war. 

Accusing Mr. Singh – who actively seeks to learn about Israel and the Jewish people – of supporting hatred is beyond the pale. Mr. Jackson owes my friend and Democratic District Leader Ramdat Singh an apology.

Betsey Knapp

President,

Unity Democratic Club