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New York Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Letitia James Gaza letter failed to mention Hamas — until New York Post called
New York State Attorney General Letitia James quietly circulated a petition Saturday to other Democrats pushing an end to the 'humanitarian catastrophe' in Gaza that failed to mention Hamas — until The Post came calling. An early draft of the petition circulated to multiple elected officials and obtained by The Post did not condemn Hamas terrorists for the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. 'We are united in this moment by a truth we can no longer ignore: a famine is unfolding in Gaza before the eyes of the world,' according to the draft, which claimed to be on behalf of a 'coalition of multiracial, multiethnic, and multifaith elected officials.' New York State Attorney General Letitia James quietly circulated a petition Saturday to other Democrats pushing an end to the 'humanitarian catastrophe' in Gaza that failed to mention Hamas terrorist's role in the crisis — until The Post came calling. KEVIN C DOWNS 'There is no denying it—we are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe …' the petition added. 'We urge our fellow Americans to speak out, to support relief efforts, and to demand that our leaders use every tool of diplomacy to end this crisis. History will remember what we did, or failed to do, in this moment.' James' office initially declined to comment on Saturday when The Post reached out about the original draft of the letter. Hours later, the AG's office sent out a news release with a new version of the letter calling for 'immediate' aid to Gaza — and condemning the terrorist group. 'We are united in this moment by both condemning the October 7th massacre perpetrated by Hamas and an unavoidable truth: a famine is unfolding in Gaza before the eyes of the world.' An early draft of the petition circulated to multiple elected officials and obtained by The Post did not condemn Hamas terrorists for the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. AP More than 60 Democratic federal, state and city elected officials signed onto the petition, including Rep. Jerold Nadler and NYC Comptroller Brad Lander. Anti-Israel Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a Queens socialist who James is endorsing in November's NYC mayoral election, was not among the letter's signatories but is vacationing in Uganda through the end of the month. Councilwoman Inna Vernikov (D-Brooklyn) ripped the original draft of the letter through a spokesperson. 'New York is being run by a cabal of leftist Hamas apologists who would rather shield terrorists than speak the truth,' Vernikov's rep said. 'Any acknowledgment of a humanitarian crisis without addressing its cause — a terrorist regime that uses civilians as human shields — is dishonest. Ignoring that reality isn't compassion; it's complicity,' the spokesperson added. State Assemblyman Charles Fall, a Democrat representing parts of Staten Island, and Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan, told The Post he signed on to the letter because the Gaza crisis is a 'humanitarian issue.' 'People are hurting, starving. Think about the kids,' said Fall, who has two daughters, ages 6 and 11. 'The letter is balanced. It talks about the hostages.'
New York Post
5 days ago
- New York Post
Heartless killer seen pouring flammable liquid on pit bull before setting dog on fire in NYC
A heartless monster was caught on video 'dragging a motionless dog' to a Queens street before dousing the helpless pooch in a flammable liquid and setting him on fire, officials said Saturday. The brindle pit bull, left to burn, was found on 128 Street and 116 Avenue in South Ozone Park at 4:45 a.m. Thursday, cops said. A necropsy is being performed to determine if he was burned to death or killed in another way first, a source said. 4 Police released surveillance screen grabs that show the alleged dog killer casually walking through a bodega. When police arrived, they found the tiger-striped doggie 'lying in the street' dead, a police source said. Cops scoured for video to figure out what happened and released surveillance photos of the villain. They plan to charge the brute with arson, cops said. 4 A surveillance photo shows the alleged doggie burner walking past a white gate. 4 Police say the man poured some kind of flammable liquid on the pitbull before lighting him on fire. The alleged dog killer was last seen wearing a maroon sweatshirt with a 'Polo' logo in tan lettering across the chest, gray pants and a light brown designer MCM backpack, which sells for between $500 and $1,000, cops said. The surveillance photos show him in a nearby bodega and walking past a white iron fence. 4 The incident happened near a homeless shelter on South Conduit Ave. KEVIN C DOWNS Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crimestoppers website at on X @NYPDTips.
