U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss blasted the Boston City Council for voting to dam a $13.3 million counter-terrorism grant for the metropolitan area amid heightened threats of terror that he says have been “fueled by antisemitism and anti-Zionism.”
Auchincloss, a Democratic Jewish congressman who represents Brookline, one of many 9 communities that will have obtained the funding, despatched a letter to Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune on Thursday, urging the physique to move the U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant upon its refiling by the mayor.
While addressed to Louijeune, it was despatched to all 13 councilors.
“This funding is crucial to counter-terrorism preparedness in Greater Boston, which is especially salient considering heightened threats of terrorism fueled by antisemitism and anti-Zionism,” stated Auchincloss, who helped to safe the grant and is the primary federal lawmaker to publicly tackle final month’s council vote.
Boston and eight neighboring communities within the Metro Boston Homeland Security Region — Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Quincy, Revere, Somerville and Winthrop — “rely in part” on these Urban Areas Security Initiative funds “to keep residents safe during this period of escalated tension and threat,” he stated.
Auchincloss pointed to latest testimony to Congress, the place the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation stated he sees “blinking lights everywhere.” The director, he stated, additionally indicated that the FBI is “especially concerned about the possibility of Hamas supporters engaging in violence on the group’s behalf.”
“UASI funding is designed specifically for cities/regions at high risk for terrorist activity, and it has historically been approved unanimously by the Boston City Council,” Auchincloss wrote.
“It is disappointing that its allocation was delayed in December, the same month that the FBI director issued his warning to the nation, and just as Boston was experiencing a surge of incidents of antisemitism,” he added.
The FBI’s considerations, Auchincloss stated, align with the us precedence of “combating domestic violent extremism,” and are strengthened with preliminary information from the Anti-Defamation League, which signifies that U.S. antisemitic incidents have “skyrocketed” for the reason that “Oct. 7 massacre in Israel.”
The ADL has tracked 1,317 protests that included “antisemitic rhetoric and expressions of support for terrorism against the state of Israel and/or anti-Zionism.”
Anti-Zionism is outlined on the ADL web site as opposition to Zionism, the motion for self-determination and statehood of the Jewish individuals of their “ancestral homeland, the land of Israel.”
The ADL has additionally tracked 628 reported incidents towards Jewish establishments similar to synagogues and group facilities, for the reason that Oct. 7 terrorist assault, which sparked conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“The Israel-Hamas War has heightened our region’s need for counter-terrorism security measures,” Auchincloss wrote. “As antisemitism proliferates, counter-terrorism funding is more pertinent than ever. Impeding its disbursement could undermine the trust of Greater Boston’s Jewish community.”
The Boston City Council voted to dam the $13.3 million counter-terrorism grant, by way of a 6-6 vote, on Dec. 13, stopping launch of the funds to the Metro Boston Homeland Security Region.
The vote prompted a firestorm of criticism, together with a transfer by state Sen. Nick Collins to file laws that will strip the Boston City Council of its public security grant and public well being grant approval.
Boston, as chair, acts because the fiduciary, or town tasked with accepting the grant, however the funds are cut up among the many 9 communities that make up the Metro Boston Homeland Security Region. The capital metropolis receives roughly half, and the eight neighboring communities obtain the opposite half, two Boston officers have stated.
In Brookline alone final 12 months, for instance, the funds have been used for personnel coaching, expertise upgrades, new public security automobiles and group preparedness measures, Auchincloss wrote.
Sam Dillon, president of the Boston firefighters union, stated the grant funding helps lots of the hearth division’s particular operations parts, “which are a fundamental critical portion of the services we provide and our response.”
“We were very disappointed to see the Boston City Council vote against this grant,” Dillon advised the Herald. “We’re encouraged that there’s been some changeover on the City Council, and we expect them to take a fresh look at this.”
“This grant needs to get done,” he stated, including that he was involved concerning the potential lack of funding as each a Boston resident and firefighter.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu intends to refile the grant for the Jan. 24 council assembly, her spokesperson advised the Herald, nevertheless it is probably not voted on till after one other committee listening to is held on the matter.
The delay has led to an uncertainty within the Metro Boston Homeland Security Region’s finances for fiscal 12 months 2023, the 12 months lined by the grant, a consultant stated at a Thursday assembly.
The funds weren’t mentioned a lot in any other case, nevertheless, apart from being introduced up by Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn, who stated he was “very disappointed” in his colleagues, as a part of the assembly’s public feedback.
“But I’m confident that when we vote again on Jan. 31, we are going to vote in favor of this,” Flynn stated.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”