Wiesenthal Center Official Joins Faith Leaders, State and City Officials in Calling for Action Against Spike in Post Election Hate Crimes

November 17, 2016

Mark Weitzman, Director of Government Affairs for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, joined NY City Council Member Barry S. Grodenchik, NY State Assemblymember David I. Weprin, Letitia James, Public Advocate for NY City, and members of the Muslim, Sikh, and Jewish communities to call strong actions against the spike in hate-motivated crimes across the nation following the end of one the most divisive elections in US history. Weitzman learned from Simon Wiesenthal that even though hate may begin targeted at one group–in the case of the Holocaust, the Jews–it did not end there. “There were other victims of the Nazis during that period, and as we see today, many different groups of people in New York and in the United States are facing these issues head-on,” he said, adding, “What encourages people to commit those crimes is the passivity and the lack of action of the bystanders. We need to hold our elected officials accountable, but we also need to start looking at ourselves.” “We at the Simon Wiesenthal Center are glad to join with all others in working together to create a NY and America where we can all be proud and share in building a better future for our children,” Weitzman concluded. PHOTO: Weitzman is pictured speaking at the press conference, flanked by NY State Assemblyman David Weprin (L) and NY City Councilman Barry Grodenchik (R). NYC Public Advocate Letitia James behind Weitzman. (Photo Credit: Stacey Eliuk) For more information, please contact the Center's Public Relations Department, 310-553-9036. Join the Center on Facebook, www.facebook.com/simonwiesenthalcenter, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent direct to your Twitter feed. The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).