Lancman Raises Off “Flippant” Crowley

In the wake of last week’s New York Times article on the NY-06 race evolving into “Israelapalooza,”Assemblyman Rory Lancman’s supporters are attempting to raise money off Councilwoman Liz Crowley’s comment in the article that all the emphasis on Israel is a “distraction.”

The below fundraising pitch was sent out Friday afternoon by former New York City Councilman Steve Orlow, a former “member at large” who now practices law in Flushing, and Eli Hertz, a pro-Israel author. In the pitch, the Lancman supporters profess that they were “shocked” at Crowley’s statement, and that the “flippant attitude towards Israel’s safety and security shows that certain candidates in Queens are simply not fit for the responsibilities of national office.”

Oh, and that people upset about Crowley’s comment should give money to Lancman.

In the Times article, Crowley says she would rather focus on issues like health care and care for the elderly. And in an email to City & State over the weekend, one of Crowley’s top campaign advisers wrote in defending the candidate’s comment:

Elizabeth Crowley believes that Israel is America’s most important ally in the Middle East — our strategic partner against global terrorism — and values that relationship and honors New York’s special bond with the people of Israel,” the Crowley adviser wrote.

However, there is distance between the candidates (Rory and Grace, on one hand, and Elizabeth on the other) in terms of *emphasis*.

* Israel is not the most important issue we face,
* it’s not the most important issue for most voters in this election, and
* Elizabeth’s campaign does not intend to be governed by what some people might view as the David Weprin/Bob Turner playbook.

When Elizabeth calls this is a distraction, that’s what she meant: candidates focusing on Israel to the detriment of other issues is a distracting for the electorate and, frankly, if folks are thinking of this race as “Israelapalooza,” as one person said in the Times, that’s a bit demeaning to the process and to voters. If Rory’s campaign or Grace’s campaign want to be recognized as “the Israel candidates” or “the Israel candidates,” — for fundraising purposes or otherwise — we’re not going to fight them for the privilege of running a single-issue campaign.

Assemblywoman Grace Meng and Republican Councilman Dan Halloran are also running, and like Lancman, both are paying their fair share of respect to Israel issues.

Here’s initial Lancman fundraising pitch:

From: Former NYC Councilman Steve Orlow and Author Eli Hertz
<friends@rorylancman.com>

Date: Fri, May 25, 2012 at 3:23 PM

Subject: NY-6 Candidate Calls Israel “A Distraction”

To: friends@rorylancman.com>

Dear **NAME OMITTED**:

Given the extraordinary threat that Israel faces from her neighbors, I was shocked to open up the New York Times yesterday to find one of the candidates for New York’s 6th Congressional District, Liz Crowley, called Israel “a distraction.”

This is a wake-up call to the Jewish community that despite the Iranian nuclear threat, the growing Islamist movement in Egypt the virtual civil war in Syria and the continuous rocket attacks from Gaza, there are still some who do not take threats to Israel seriously.

This flippant attitude towards Israel’s safety and security shows that certain candidates in Queens are simply not fit for the responsibilities of national office. We need someone in Congress who truly understands the threat faced by Israel and the United States, and who has the record to back it up.

Please join me in standing with a true defender of Israel, Rory Lancman, and make a contribution to his campaign here. Whether it’s been in the legislative chamber, in the newspaper pages, or in the community, Rory has been a fighter for Israel and the Jewish community, and will continue that fight in Congress.

Please contribute to Rory to ensure our voice is heard loud and clear in Washington.

Thank you,

Steve Orlow, Former New York City Councilman

Eli Hertz

P.S. We need serious leadership in Washington to combat the Iranian threat and ensure the protection of Israel. Contribute today to make sure our government treats Israel as a priority and not a “distraction.”