Yuh-Line Niou, a New York State Assemblymember of the 10th District, stated that she supports The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) on Monday.
The 38-year-old Assemblywoman who was elected in 2016 to represent the 10th district of NYC (lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn), has previously been vocal about her stance on the BDS movement. However, this past Monday was the first time she was candid about her position since she came into office.
Niou has not been clear on her viewpoint on the movement's goals, saying that she supports BDS as a free speech issue.
“I believe in the right to protest as a fundamental tenet of Western democracy, so I do support BDS,” said Niou in an interview with Jewish Insider.
Niou is part of a small faction of Democrats that support BDS — including Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN).
Criticism from fellow Democrats
Brian Cunningham, a representative of the 43rd District — which includes Crown Heights, a predominantly Orthodox neighborhood — withdrew his endorsement of Niou after learning her approval of BDS.
Former NYC mayor Bill De Blasio put the spotlight on Niou after she stated her support of BDS.
“The vast majority of us who are Democrats, the vast majority of us who are progressives, don’t agree with her. We support the State of Israel. We oppose BDS. We want a productive future and undermining the Israeli economy, which means undermining prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians alike, is no way to build a future,” De Blasio stated.