By Holly Crocco
A group of lawmakers whose districts include the Carmel Central School District is asking New York State Education Department Commissioner Betty Rosa to remove Trustee Jim Wise from the board of education, following what they are calling a “blatant and dangerous use of antisemitic rhetoric” made during a June 22 pro-Palestine protest in front of the Historic Courthouse in Carmel, when Wise reportedly shouted inflammatory remarks at pro-Israel counter-protesters.
In the letter, Assembly members Matt Slater, R-Yorktown, and AJ Beephan, R-East Fishkill, joined Congressman Mike Lawler, R-Rockland, and State Sen. Rob Rolison, R-Poughkeepsie, in urging immediate intervention.
“Our public school officials are entrusted with the education and protection of all students,” the letter states. “There must be zero tolerance for any school board trustee who spreads and defends ignorant antisemitic slogans such as ‘From the River to the Sea, Palestine must be free.’”
The phrase has been recognized as an explicit call to eliminate the state of Israel and exterminate the Jewish population within it – especially in the aftermath of Hamas’ deadly rampage across southern Israel on Oct. 7, and Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
In Congress, the House passed a resolution condemning the phrase.
However, Wise “rejects absolutely” the idea that the phrase is antisemitic.
“The claim that the only way Palestinians could be freed from the apartheid under which they now live would be for Jews to die is deeply racist, white supremacist in its origins, and closely mirrors the rhetoric used to defend apartheid in South Africa,” he wrote on Facebook. “Palestinians and Jews lived together in peace for centuries before 1948, and I look forward to the day when they shall do so again.”
In their letter to Rosa, the lawmakers also highlighted comments made by Wise at the July 9 Carmel School Board meeting, when they say he insinuated that Israel is a terrorist state, equating it with terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
“Our state has seen a dramatic rise in antisemitism following the disgusting attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7,” said Slater. “It is unacceptable for someone in a leadership position to create a hurtful and divisive environment. I stand as a representative of this community and join my fellow colleagues and the rest of the residents in Carmel in requesting that not only antisemitism be addressed, but to remove Trustee Wise from office.”
Rolison said antisemitic bigotry has no place in New York’s educational values and the teaching of children.
“Those who willfully ignore this truism to push a noxious political agenda must face the consequences,” he said. “I therefore join with my colleagues to urge Commissioner Rosa to take immediate action on this matter.”
“There must be zero tolerance for antisemitism,” added Lawler. “Trustee Jim Wise has broken the public trust by repeating the disgusting antisemitic lies of Hamas apologists. Conduct such as his is unbecoming of an elected official anywhere, especially here in the Hudson Valley – home to one of the largest Jewish populations in our country. Jim Wise should resign in disgrace and be removed from office if he refuses to do so.”
Wise took to social media last week to address what he called “a concerted smear campaign targeting myself and other community members within the Carmel Central School District with charges of antisemitism for our support of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and of equal human rights for Israelis and Palestinians …”
“Those in our community know that before settling on this issue, the same people behind this campaign had called for my resignation due to my support for the rights of LGBTQ students within our schools, my opposition to banning books, and my support for black and brown students traumatized by the racist videos which targeted the George Fischer Middle School last year,” he wrote on Facebook.
Wise called it absurd to accuse a Jewish man of antisemitism “for holding a position shared by the majority of American Jews.” He said he stands with those who call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, an end to U.S. weapons shipments to Israel, and immediate steps to protect the lives and human rights of all – regardless of their religion.
“For this reason, I have been proud to stand with the brave students in our community, many of them also Jewish, who have organized demonstrations calling for a ceasefire and an end to US military aid to Israel,” he said.
The Carmel School Board voted 4-2 at its July 9 meeting to issue a statement clarifying that the comments made by Wise at the protest do not represent the district or the board. Trustees Wise and Jori Douglas voted against issuing the statement, with Board President Melissa Orser and Trustees Dawn Dall, Jason Paraskeva and John Curzio II approving it.
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