Tuesday, February 21, 2017

A sign of changing times --- Now, even a Palestinian “Reverend” enters the Democratic Primary race for the City Council for Bay Ridge & Dyker Heights

“El-Yateem Throws Hat In The Ring”  ---  Kings County Politics

 And then there were five...  Democrats in the race

The Reverend El-Yateem’s campaign kickoff bash is slated for 2 p.m., this Sunday, Feb. 26th

  

According to the report in Stephen Witt’s “Kings County Politics” blog,   “Khader El-Yateem, Pastor at Salam Arabic Lutheran Church…  in Bay Ridge [?] is officially throwing his hat in the ring to run for the vacant 43rd District City Council Seat….   El- Yateem’s entrance in the race brings to five the number of Democrats running for term-limited Vincent Gentile‘s seat representing Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and parts of Bensonhurst and Bath Beach. The others who have announced or are acting they are running include Justin Brannan, Kevin Peter Carroll, Nancy Tong and Assemblyman Peter Abbate….   El-Yateem’s entrance in the race, as far as KCP knows, is groundbreaking as he is the first Palestinian-American to run for public office in New York City. El-Yateem hails from Bethlehem, West Bank in what is now Israel….   Bay Ridge has a large Arab-American population, and Palestinian Arab-Americans make up a large part of that demographic in the neighborhood….” El-Yateem Throws Hat In The Ring…” by Stephen Witt, 2/20/17,  Kings County Politics/ Notes From The Campaign Desk/ 2017 Citywide Elections   [http://www.kingscountypolitics.com/el-yateem-throws-hat-ring-butler-gets-labor-endorsements/]).

The “El Yateem…” segment in the KCP article ended with this:  “….   El-Yateem’s campaign kickoff is slated for 2 p.m., this Sunday, Feb. 26 at Le Sajj Restaurant, 8221 5th Avenue in Bay Ridge...."

The fact that Khader El-Yateem is the Pastor at Salam Arabic Lutheran Church and is now an active political candidate is a break with an almost universal tradition in Southwest Brooklyn politics  ---  clergy members just have not run for political positions.   Even the membership of a priest on School Board 20 was quite controversial at the time…..

For those of you who need a “Weatherman,”  this is yet another sign that   “…  The times they are a changin’…”.
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9 comments:

  1. AnonymousFebruary 21, 2017 at 12:42 PM

    Is the good Reverend trying to do to Little Bobby Capano what Johnny Cakes did to Liam twice?

    For those who live deep in their basements, hiding behind their pet rocks and Chia Pets, that means guys like Quaglione who scheduled his announcement and then his first fundraiser to steal somebody else's thunder, namely Liam's.

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  2. AnonymousFebruary 21, 2017 at 12:56 PM

    How is a Christian Arab's candidacy any different from Syrian-Lebanese Ed Seergy's election as State Committeeman/District Leader and campaigns for County Chairman in the 1950s and 60s?

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  3. AnonymousFebruary 21, 2017 at 1:12 PM

    Was this Ed Seergy a clergy member?

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  4. AnonymousFebruary 21, 2017 at 3:23 PM

    Seergy and Crews are still keeping an eye on Gangemi

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  5. AnonymousFebruary 21, 2017 at 4:35 PM

    Arabian Seergy wasn't a clergyman, but Irishman Doug MacNeill, who ran for the Assembly in Borough Park and Park Slope was a Catholic priest.

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  6. AnonymousFebruary 21, 2017 at 6:20 PM

    Seergy was not in the clergy.

    Macneill was a heel.

    Quaglione will get a bone.

    McCabe is a babe.

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  7. AnonymousFebruary 21, 2017 at 9:54 PM

    I saw the Rev with Marty at the Emerald Society

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  8. AnonymousFebruary 21, 2017 at 11:59 PM

    Father Douglas McNeill was part of an anti-Lindsey, anti-Riccio faction of Park Slope Republicans..... He was ordered by the Brooklyn Diocese to cease his political activities..... He left Brooklyn and became an Indian-mission chaplain in New Mexico.

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  9. AnonymousFebruary 22, 2017 at 11:41 AM

    What's the 'Emerald Society' a specialized group of jewelers?

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