Jamieson
NEW YORK – The Anti-Defamation League Monday condemned Chester
Town Supervisor Alex Jamieson for comments he was reported to have made
concerning purchasing land to keep the Hasidics out.
A local print publication reported the supervisor made the comments at
last week.
When contacted by Mid-Hudson News on Monday, Jamieson said he made no
such comments, never mentioned any religious groups including the Hasidic
sect. “If you played back the tape of my town board meeting, I never
said the words (in the newspaper). I never said anything negative toward
the Jewish population or the Jewish community or anything else,”
he said.
A review of the town board meeting on YouTube showed Jamieson never
mentioned anything about protecting land from Hasidic expansion.
He did mention the town is in negotiations to sell the vacant Sugar Loaf
Performing Arts Center to a producer who wants to revive live performances,
and that the town is looking to purchase a piece of land along Route 94
for development of a town pool and tracks. He also said the town is in
the early stages of discussing two other parcels.
Based on the newspaper article, Regional Anti-Defamation League Director
Evan Bernstein said the alleged comments from Jamieson were “anti-Semitic,
plain and simple. No one should speak this way, but these comments are
particularly abhorrent coming from an elected government official.”
