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Hikind is part of a group of New York state legislators that has consistently attempted to block plans to renovate the [[headquarters of the United Nations]], calling the UN anti-American and anti-Israel.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050106200003/http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?artid=10276&print=yes "UN Takes A Beating"], ''[[The Jewish Week]]'', December 17, 2004</ref>
Hikind is part of a group of New York state legislators that has consistently attempted to block plans to renovate the [[headquarters of the United Nations]], calling the UN anti-American and anti-Israel.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050106200003/http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?artid=10276&print=yes "UN Takes A Beating"], ''[[The Jewish Week]]'', December 17, 2004</ref>


Hikind criticized President [[Barack Obama]] for allowing the passage of an anti-Israel resolution at the [[United Nations Security Council]] on December 23, 2016, calling the UN a "cesspool".<ref>{{cite news|title=Assemblyman Hikind: Obama is a hero to the terrorists|url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/222371|accessdate=27 December 2016|date=December 30, 2016|work=[[Arutz Sheva]]}}</ref>
Hikind criticized President [[Barack Obama]] for abstaining on [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334|UN Security Council Resolution 2234]], which criticized Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, calling the UN a "cesspool".<ref>{{cite news|title=Assemblyman Hikind: Obama is a hero to the terrorists|url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/222371|accessdate=27 December 2016|date=December 30, 2016|work=[[Arutz Sheva]]}}</ref>


===Same-sex marriage===
===Same-sex marriage===

Revision as of 06:51, 15 October 2018

Dov Hikind
File:Hikind.jpg
Dov Hikind
Member of the New York State Assembly
from the 48th district
Assumed office
January 1983
Preceded bySamuel Hirsch
Personal details
Born (1950-06-30) June 30, 1950 (age 73)
Brooklyn, New York City
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseShoshana Hikind
ChildrenDeena, Yoni, Shmuel
Residence(s)Brooklyn, New York City
OccupationAssemblyman

Dov Hikind (born June 30, 1950) is an American politician in the state of New York. He is a Democratic New York State Assemblyman representing Brooklyn's Assembly district 48, having held this position since 1983.

In addition to being a state Assemblyman, Hikind hosts a weekly radio show in New York City.

Background and family

Hikind grew up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. His father was a devout follower of the Vizhnitz Hasidic dynasty.[1]

He is married and has three children: Yoni, Shmuel, and Deena. Yoni and Shmuel both work as social workers in the Jewish community in Brooklyn.

Politics

Hikind endorsed Michael Bloomberg for mayor the first two times, but endorsed Bill Thompson for Mayor in 2009.[2] Hikind has broken ranks with his party before, most notably in his endorsement of Republican candidates George Pataki for governor in 1994, George W. Bush, John McCain, and Mitt Romney for president.

Described by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and The New York Times as a conservative Democrat,[3][4] Hikind believes that the national party has moved too far to the left, particularly on social issues, for the liking of many of his constituents.[4]

Hikind expressed interest in the special election for the New York's 9th congressional district seat vacated by Anthony Weiner; Hikind did not expect the Democrats to nominate him and considered running as a Republican.[5]

In 2017, Hikind's son Yoni ran for the City Council in district 44 against Kalman Yeger, David Greenfield’s handpicked successor who was on the Democratic party line; in order to avoid a primary, the younger Hikind collected petitions to run on his own party line called “Our Neighborhood.”[6]

In 2018, Hikind announced his upcoming retirement from the New York State Assembly, proclaiming support for his handpicked successor Simcha Eichenstein.[7]

Views on issues

Profiling

Hikind has advocated for the profiling of Muslims of Middle Eastern and South Asian background as a response to terrorism.[8] In 2005 he sponsored a bill to allow police to focus on Middle-Eastern men in subway bag searches.[9][10] At a news conference, holding up photos of Muslim men, he said, "The individuals involved [in terrorism] basically look like this. Why must police think twice before examining people of a particular group?"[11] He has described this as "terrorist profiling".[12] Civil rights groups opposed Hikind's proposal, and the NYPD released a statement against it, saying that "Racial profiling is illegal, of doubtful effectiveness, and against department policy".[13]

Following the attempted bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 in December 2009, Hikind introduced a similar bill that would allow law enforcement agencies to consider race and ethnicity as "one of many factors" in selecting persons for anti-terrorism stops and searches.[9]

Subway security

He was responsible for bringing the allocation of $1.2 million in a project that helped to provide 120 closed-circuit television cameras to nine South Brooklyn subway stations. These funds, which would provide camera security in contrast to many other stations in the five boroughs, were granted because the neighborhoods they were installed in, that being Borough Park, Midwood, Kensington, and Parkville, all had large Jewish populations, and Hikind said the project was prompted by "concerns that the Jewish community would be targeted" by terrorists.[14] Hikind encouraged politicians to do the same in other subway stations, which now lag behind those of his community. A New York Times article revealed that the MTA had granted close to $600 million in funds for security to stations in New York City in late 2002; however, only a small fraction of it had been used productively by 2005.[15]

The Passion of the Christ

In 2003, Hikind and a group of supporters protested Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ. He led about 50 Jewish leaders and supporters to the Fox News offices in Manhattan in a demonstration, chanting "The Passion is a lethal weapon against Jews."[16] Hikind was vocal in his anger against the movie, stating: "It will result in anti-Semitism and bigotry. It really takes us back to the Dark Ages ... the Inquisition, the Crusades, all for the so-called sin of the Crucifixion of Jesus."'[17]

Yassir Arafat

In 2001, Dov Hikind argued that the Madame Tussauds New York wax museum should remove its wax statue of the Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat, claiming that he was a terrorist whose image should not be in New York.[18]

Zionism

As the son of Holocaust survivors, Hikind considers his parents' experience to be an important component of his Zionist views. Among his early activities were demonstrations demanding the right to emigrate for Soviet and Syrian Jews. In the summer of 2005, Hikind visited the settlements of Gush Katif to express his concern for the residents who were slated to be expelled from the Gaza Strip. In the summer of 2006, along with a group of fellow legislators and community leaders, Hikind visited northern Israeli communities during the time of the Hezbollah rocket attacks on Israel. He and his group spent the time there distributing funds and material aid.[citation needed]

United Nations

Hikind is part of a group of New York state legislators that has consistently attempted to block plans to renovate the headquarters of the United Nations, calling the UN anti-American and anti-Israel.[19]

Hikind criticized President Barack Obama for abstaining on UN Security Council Resolution 2234, which criticized Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, calling the UN a "cesspool".[20]

Same-sex marriage

After voting against a same-sex marriage bill in the New York State Assembly, Hikind claimed that same-sex marriage can lead to the acceptance of incest, maintaining that, "If we authorize gay marriage in the state of New York, those who want to live and love incestuously will be five steps closer to achieving their goals as well."[21] On June 15, 2011, after the New York State Assembly passed a bill to legalize gay marriage, Hikind said gay marriage is wrong in the eyes of God.[22]

David Irving letter

On October 20, 2009, at the insistence of Hikind and twelve other New York State and City officeholders, American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault, American Express rescinded its Merchants Agreement with prominent Holocaust denier David Irving.[23]

References

  1. ^ Ami Magazine (100): 57. December 26, 2012. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ^ McIntire, Mike. "Mayor's Campaign Follows Jewish Voters to the Catskills". New York Times, August 1, 2005; p. B4
  3. ^ "One of New York's most outspoken Orthodox politicians is retiring". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. April 25, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Neuman, William (November 10, 2016). "In Democratic Stronghold of New York City, Trump Finds Support Among Orthodox Jews". The New York Times.
  5. ^ Benjamin, Elizabeth (2011-06-20). Extras Archived March 29, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. State of Politics. Retrieved 2011-06-20.
  6. ^ Jorgensen, Jillian (December 3, 2017). "Assemblyman Dov Hikind's son, Yoni, jumps in race for City Councilman David Greenfield's seat". New York Daily News.
  7. ^ Donn, Yochonon (April 26, 2018) "Simcha Eichenstein Declares Candidacy for Brooklyn Assembly Seat", Hamodia. "Speaking at Hamodia’s office, [Eichenstein], the 34-year-old veteran of the de Blasio administration said in an interview that he will run in the Democratic primary this September to replace Mr. Hikind, a longtime lawmaker who announced this week that he will no longer run. Mr. Hikind is supporting Mr. Eichenstein’s candidacy and intends to campaign with him.
  8. ^ Vielkind, Jimmy (December 29, 2009). "Hikind Renews Call for Terror Suspect Profiling". Observer. New York.
  9. ^ a b Omi, Michael; Winant, Howard (2012). "Conclusion". In HoSang, Daniel; et al. (eds.). Racial Formation in the Twenty-First Century. University of California Press. p. 314. ISBN 978-0-52-027343-6. {{cite book}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |editor2-last= (help)
  10. ^ Epstein, Edward (August 10, 2005). "Calls for racial, ethnic profiling renewed after transit attacks / Critics say it unfairly singles out minorities". San Francisco Chronicle.
  11. ^ Getlin, Josh (August 14, 2005). "Complaints on NYC subway searches grow". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  12. ^ Kaufmann, Mareile (2010). Ethnic Profiling and Counter-terrorism: Examples of European Practice and Possible Repercussions. LIT Verlag Münster. p. 44. ISBN 978-3-64-310447-2.
  13. ^ "Pol: Use Racial Profiling on Subways". Fox News. October 6, 2005.
  14. ^ Chan, Sewell. "Metro Briefing New York: Brooklyn: Security Cameras In Stations." New York Times. Jun 2, 2005 . pg. B.8
  15. ^ Chan, Sewell; Fahim, Kareem. "M.T.A. Slow to Spend Money on Transit Security" New York Times. Jul 9, 2005. pg. A.1
  16. ^ Trotta, Liz. "Jewish leaders condemn film: Call Gibson's movie on Christ's crucifixion anti-Semitic.", Washington Times; p. A14 (August 29, 2003)
  17. ^ "Fox passes on Gibson's The Passion". Los Angeles Times. 2004-10-22. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
  18. ^ Haberman, Clyde. "Offense Taken To Extremes On Our Behalf." New York Times (May 19, 2001), p. B1
  19. ^ "UN Takes A Beating", The Jewish Week, December 17, 2004
  20. ^ "Assemblyman Hikind: Obama is a hero to the terrorists". Arutz Sheva. December 30, 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
  21. ^ Paybarah, Azi (2007-06-22). "Hikind Responds: Why Not Incest?". The New York Observer. Archived from the original on 2008-10-11. Retrieved 2008-11-22. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ "NY Assembly passes gay marriage as expected". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Associated Press. 2011-06-15. [dead link]
  23. ^ Siemaszko, Corky. "American Express says Holocaust denier David Irving's no 'merchant', thanks to Assemblyman Hikind". Archived October 24, 2009, at the Wayback Machine New York Daily News. October 21, 2009; retrieved 2009-11-24.

External links

New York State Assembly
Preceded by New York State Assembly
48th District
1983–present 		Incumbent
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