Brooklyn, NY – Lander Calling For Investigation Into Anti-Gay Article In Satmar Newspaper Der Blatt

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    Assemblyman Dov Hikind, Yitchok Fleischer, campaigns with Brad LanderBrooklyn, NY – A Brooklyn newspaper article about Brad Lander has called the 39th City Council candidate’s views on gay marriage into question.

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    At the same time, candidates in the race to replace Bill de Blasio are claiming that Lander’s political ideologies are different in the conservative Orthodox side of the district than they are in Park Slope, where residents are more liberal and progressive.

    Der Blatt, which is printed in Yiddish by the Satmar Hasidim, came out with an article last Friday encouraging readers to vote for Lander, who they said “strongly opposes various types of abominations and immoral laws.”

    The article was aimed directly at Orthodox readers, who equate “abominations” with homosexuals.

    Eyebrows were raised almost immediately, especially since Lander has repeatedly said that he is for gay rights and gay marriage.

    But the article didn’t just talk about Lander’s opposition to abominations. It also goes on to say that “it would be a desecration in the name of God to support the other candidates who support laws permitting abominations and who do not at all address the problems we are concerned about even if such candidates happen to be Jewish themselves” — a swipe at Lander’s Jewish opponents in the race.

    The Lander campaign immediately denied any involvement in the article, which is in effect a paid advertisement. At the bottom of the photo, among pictures of Lander speaking to Orthodox leaders, are the words “Paid for Brad Lander for City Council.”

    Lander’s campaign wrote Der Blatt demanding a retraction. The campaign also alerted the city’s Campaign Finance Board, asking for guidance on how to deal with this situation.

    Claims of ignorance sounded hollow, however, when this paper acquired a copy of the advertising invoice for the article.

    The bill is written out to the attention of Yitchok Fleischer, a longtime Lander supporter who is stumping for the candidate in Borough Park.

    When contacted, Fleischer admitted to approaching Der Blatt about doing an article on Lander and provided the pictures used. He never gave them any copy, however, laying what came out in print entirely on the newspaper’s feet.

    “They [Der Blatt] told me they knew what to write and they printed this article without any approval from me or anyone else,” said Fleischer. “When I saw it I was very upset.”

    “Nothing has changed with his policies [about gay marriage],” he said. “Whoever wrote the story wrote it without anyone’s approval. Nobody saw the article until it was printed.”

    Der Blatt is expected to come out with a retraction this Friday. Attempts to find answers at Der Blatt were not successful.

    “We had nothing to do with it,” Lander said about the ad when contacted, stating that Fleischer’s actions were done without his consent or approval. “It would have been a preposterous thing to do. People in Borough Park know of my support of marriage equality and no one would believe that we would have placed this ad. It could only serve to do me harm.”

    Lander’s challengers, however, do not think the possibility is so preposterous.

    “Yet again we have a wannabe progressive who changes his song when it’s politically convenient,” said Steven Stites, a spokesman for 39th District candidate Josh Skaller. “This lying and pandering shouldn’t come as a surprise.Brad Lander has shown time and time again that he’s willing to throw truth to the wind to get elected.”

    “The content of this ad and the placement of it in Der Blatt speaks volume about my opponent’s character,” added Bob Zuckerman, who is also running for the coveted City Hall post. “Anyone who would engage in this kind of deception is not fit for public office.”

    Despite the recent news, Lander supporters in both Borough Park and Park Slope do not believe that Lander is preaching to two different choirs on two different sides of the district.

    “I can only tell you that he [Lander’s] been pretty straightforward,” said Borough Park Assemblymember Dov Hikind, a longtime supporter of Lander’s campaign. “In fact, some of us accuse him on not being a politician.”

    “[The story] didn’t come from Brad,” said Dan Tietz, the former president of the Lambda Independent Democrats, the borough’s largest LGBT political club, who said that supporters and newspapers on the Borough Park side of the district had gone off track in other campaigns. “It looks to me like an error. People in Borough Park know his position on gay marriage and it isn’t in his interest to mix it up this way.”

    Azi Paybarah of politickerny.com is reporting that Lander has since asked city Campaign Finance Board for an investigation, see below
    CFBLanderInvestigationRequest


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    29 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    this week Satmar endoresd John Heyer in the Der Blat Page 113

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    wow for a community that claims theres no “gay people” in their circles they sure care a lot about gay rights…

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Heyer is the only one against “toeva”.

    Chaim
    Chaim
    14 years ago

    In 33rd district is Isaac Abraham the only one against it, the rest 6 candidates are for it big time!! It’s a big shame that people in the Williamsburg Hassid community
    Should even think to indorse and be foolish by those people!!! It’s in your hand to stop of making it happen!!…

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Silly people fighting over nonsense and at the same time ignore important issues that affect their communities. How easy it is to be a politician in these neighborhoods as long as you woo them with anti gay language which tends to be a priority and not economic issues.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    this is a paid article. Derblatt doesnt read every line of a paid advertisment.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Der Blatt is long known to form occurrences to their advantages, this story is just a tip of the iceberg.

    Slammer
    Slammer
    14 years ago

    Gevalt- our leaders support people who are self hating Jews and get distractions from that with the pathetic gay articles in Satmar lunatic paper. This is erev Rosh Hashana.

    o giter yid
    o giter yid
    14 years ago

    In other words, Lander is trying to express clearly that a Jew that cares for the torah shouldn’t vote for him, because he is supporting some ugly gilu aruyos that a jew is supposed to get killed rather than doing it. A frum Jew should not vote for any candidate that is for g… Marriage. (Sorry I don’t feel like even spelling out that bad word). Take my word, now we’re at 2009. In about 2019 or erlier (moshiach should be here by then) the dressing code, the law that forbids going in the street undressed will be removed by 1 of the new presidents who will be running on that issue. Leider leider. People open your eyes & see were we’re getting to. O shonde in o shput.

    A Satmer Chusid from B"P
    A Satmer Chusid from B"P
    14 years ago

    I really don’t understand whats going on – Yitchok Fleischer he is taking care and is getting paid for the Jewish Boro Park campaign for Brad Lander, and the Blatt has no interest in the race actually till this week when Satmer Boro Park endorsed John Heyer for this sit, so its stupid to think that the Blatt put it in by it self, and it had even original pictures, its sure that Yitchok Fleischer put it in and he is taking full “ACHRAYUS ON THAT” and he is talking in the name of Lander

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Wow! we’re stooping like the market

    CuriousYoel
    CuriousYoel
    14 years ago

    Hey. Why does this LANDER say one thing and do another? And did you read Ezra Friedlander’s letter? ?He shows the HEYER also lies about his position. He supports Toeiva Marriage. A pox on all of their houses.

    insider
    insider
    14 years ago

    Yitzchok Fleischer is a good guy. Period. Brad Lander is good, too, but he does support all the garbage that reform Jews tend to support. Regardless, as long as Brad Lander will not have the power to fficiate at weddings, he will be unable to have men marry men and women marry women. Also, since he is not a doctor, he will be unable to personally preform abortios. Further, he alone will be unable to pass any laws. Therefore, in plain words, there is absolutely nothing wrong in voting for him in the anticipation that he will help Boro Park with affordable housing, etc., etc.

    WHO CARES
    WHO CARES
    14 years ago

    Who cares ? it realy does not concern us we dont have gay marriges in our comunity anyways its just a shame that a jewish candidate with close ties to the chasidishe community should be pro GIMEL its unethical even ..just does not make any scense

    trochter
    trochter
    14 years ago

    When kasho chasidim went out to protest against g… marriage a few years ago, I looked at them like nuts. What are you going to win with this? Now I see that they were right. If we can have yiden endorse candidates that are against the main concepts of the torah, that shows that we realy fell 250 miles down. Now I understand that going out & say that we’re against this is for our own sake, we shouldn’t one day get chas veshulom caught with such mocshovos rch”l.

    matzahlocal101
    matzahlocal101
    14 years ago

    I’m really not convinced that the blatt published their own advertisement for Lander without getting any approval from the lander campaign. If it is true, it shows irresponsibilty on the part of Lander. what campaign gives a newspaper money and says “Here’s money, write something nice about us.” without checking copy? Ikur chasar min hasefer. Something is missing here.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    To which Satmar faction does “Der Blatt” belong?

    Pesach the Pure
    Pesach the Pure
    14 years ago

    this is what happens when our “frum” so called leaders lie down with dogs – they come up with fleas and worse.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Brad Lander was with the Satmar Ruv from BP and the head of the Satmar School system and they endorsed him for this City Council Race, since all candidates in this race have the same views on the G issue, the Satmar leaders said that the best of the pack is BRAD LANDER.

    Shocked
    Shocked
    14 years ago

    I don’t follow politics at all (it doesn’t interest me in the least bit) so maybe that’s why this is news to me, but I’m shocked to learn that there are Jewish politicians that openly support gay marriages. What’s next? Pro abortion? Heck, why stop there? Let’s get behind Bestiality!! How can you openly campaign as a jewish person, yet openly support something that goes against everything we stand for?!?! It boggles my mind…..

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    why do so many people have a problem saying the word GAY,all it means is the orientation of a person,there are GAY frum people believe it or not,so stop insulting them by using degrading titles,