Yvette, Chanina on Speaking Terms

By COLlive reporter

A full crowd of elected officials and community leaders attended the 2017 Congressional Breakfast of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY).

Held at the UJA-Federation of NY in Manhattan, the morning event highlighted the organization’s efforts for the Jewish community in the eight county metropolitan New York area.

300 Jewish, political, faith and ethnic leaders and diplomats were present to hear about topics ranging from Congress’ unequivocal support for Israel, terrorism, the United Nations, the Iran deal, immigration, jobs and possible changes to the tax code impacting non-profits.

One more issue that was on the table was the sight of the Democratic Congresswoman Yvette Clarke of Brooklyn seated and speaking to Chanina Sperlin, the veteran Jewish activist from Crown Heights.

After years of close friendship, Sperlin broke ties with Clarke over her supporting vote for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal propelled by the Barack Obama Administration.

With Israel heavily lobbying against the deal, Clarke’s Jewish constituency in Brooklyn has requested she vote against it or at least abstain. The White House put its full weight on the line and Clarke, like many Democrats, voted yes.

In response, Sperlin has been cold to Clarke. Local Jewish activists joined him in disappointment, especially after Clarke was quoted saying voting for the Iran deal was an decision easy since “pressures to reject the deal were so alienating.”

In October, Clarke came to the annual Sukkos party Sperlin hosts at his home but she didn’t stand out like her colleagues.

“She is our representative in Congress and we still need the full integration,” Sperlin told COLlive.com this week. “We have passports, green cards and other needs that she can help with.”

But what really renewed the friendship, Sperlin says, was Clarke’s vote in Congress to condemn the United Nations for passing Resolution 2334 that condemned Israeli construction in Judea, Samaria and eastern Jerusalem.

Congress also indirectly criticized Obama, saying “The United States Government should oppose and veto future United Nations Security Council resolutions that seek to impose solutions to final status issues, or are one-sided and anti-Israel.”

“That was the number one reason,” Sperlin said this week on reconciling with Clarke. The two were seen chatting at the event where Clarke publicly declared her support for “an honorable peace and security of Israel.”

Additional pro-Israel statements were heard at the breakfast from Congress members Eliot Engel, Adriano Espaillat, Hakeem Jeffries, Carolyn Maloney and Tom Suozzi.

Among those joining were NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, NYS Assembly Members Charles Lavine, Felix Ortiz and David Weprin, NYC Council Members David Greenfield, Mark Levine, and Elizabeth Crowley.