FRANCE-SHOOTING/NYC MARCH REAX The Jewish community in New York City weighs in on Paris march decision

Record ID: 324621

  • Title: FRANCE-SHOOTING/NYC MARCH REAX The Jewish community in New York City weighs in on Paris march decision
  • Date: 12th January 2015
  • Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 12, 2015) (REUTERS) WIDE OF NEWSPAPERS ON NEWSSTAND
  • Embargoed: 27th January 2015 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: India
  • Country: India
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA2WP00GZHJ4LAPPK1FV9T22QEB
  • Story Text: PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL THAT WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
    Members of New York City's Jewish community weighed in on Monday (January 12) on whether the United States should have sent a higher profile leader to a France unity march to honor victims of the recent Islamist militant attacks there.
    The New York Daily News' front page featured a photo of the packed rally along with head shots of U.S. President Barack Obama, Biden, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder with the admonition: "You let the world down".
    Some Republican lawmakers and U.S. media outlets have criticized the Obama administration for not sending a top leader to the march, which featured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas flanking the leaders of France, Germany and Italy.
    "I think it is regrettable," said Malcolm Hoenlein, chief executive officer of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, speaking to Reuters in Manhattan.
    "It's become an issue and deflects from the serious matters that really should be discussed and the failure to have someone there of real stature as 40 other countries did, I think is unfortunate and regrettable."
    "For 50 years, Israel fought the battle against terrorism alone," Hoenlein continued.
    "Today the whole world is engaged in it, and I think it's also regrettable that some of those, who are responsible for the ongoing incitement like Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, like Davutoglu of Turkey, were allowed to march in a protest against the very things that they are helping to promote."
    Members of the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan had mixed thoughts on the issue.
    "I think the United States should have made a much more important presence than they did," said Maggie Bayer.
    "I think it's much ado about nothing," said Pinkus Brooger.
    "We were very poorly represented and it's kind of unacceptable," said Sandra Bergman.
    "Frankly I didn't really think much of the lack of our presence there...the leaders who were there were in much closer proximity," said Sonia Vicinanza.
    Kerry, on a visit to India, rebuffed criticism for not having a top-level official at Sunday's (January 11) march as "quibbling" and said Washington has cooperated deeply with Paris on many levels since the attacks.
    "We have offered, from the first moment, our intel, our law enforcement and all of our efforts, and I really think that, you know, this is sort of quibbling a little bit," said Kerry.
    The United States was represented at the march by its ambassador to France, Jane Hartley.
    But White House spokesman Josh Earnest admitted to reporters on Monday: "I think it's fair to say that we should have sent someone with a higher profile to be there."
    U.S. administration officials cited security requirements as a central reason why neither Obama nor Biden made the trip, saying their security needs can be distracting from such events.
    French President Francois Hollande and 44 foreign dignitaries headed more than a million people in the march to show solidarity after Islamist militants killed 17 people in three days of attacks in the French capital last week.
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