SUNY campuses eyed by gov for asylum seekers Assembly ‘Anti-Israel’ bill opposed by Lavine

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He said that asylum seekers are subject to “intense hatred” by his colleagues in government, but that the “hatred is never going to help solve whatever issue these folks will present.”

“It’s our obligation and it’s our legal requirement to house them and process them,” Lavine said.

He said the current political climate and conversations about refugees are comparable to the Jewish refugees of the 1930s who were escaping genocide.

The political movement during the 1930s referred to as “America First” prioritized the interests of the United States over foreign issues and was a leading policy for the United States’ refusal to join

World War II.

Lavine said this movement efectively prevented Jewish refugees from seeking asylum in the United States and led to their murder during the Holocaust.

He said that while 90 years have passed since then, the same issues are arising with the current migrant crisis.

“I think it’s time that we all do everything we can to promote humanitarian eforts to try to help people who come here because if they don’t, their lives are in danger,” Lavine said. “Let us hope we learned a lesson in the 1930s. I am positive that some of my colleagues have not learned that lesson.”

Lavine said that while this bill is “pretending” to be one that will alleviate tensions in the Middle East, it will instead make things worse.

“The Palestinians have been victimized enough by politicians over the years, unfor- tunately, but this is in no way going to help mitigate whatever tensions exist in the Middle East,” Lavine.

He called the bill an example of demagoguery, or political action that appeals to prejudices instead of rationality, referring to it as “antiIsrael.”

Lavine said it is being introduced for the bill sponsors to “make a splash at the expense of the Palestinians and also at the expense of anyone who contributes to any charities that are involved in Israel.”

He said this bill is “dead on arrival,” as it was determined immediately that the measure would not be passed by the majority.

Regardless, Lavine said he is still speaking out against the bill as it is time for political leaders to stand up against this sort of action, whether it is coming from what he identifed as the Trump faction or the “so-called socialists.”

State inspectors were sent to SUNY Old Westbury to assess its viability to house asylum seekers, but was ultimately determined not to.

Assemblymember Charles Lavine condemns a bill proposed that would would prohibit not-for-profit corporations to monetarily support Israel.