WASHINGTON (JTA) — New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is under fire for invoking a former British prime minister known for appeasing the Nazis.
During his weekly radio show on July 17, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he would not continue to negotiate with New York senators opposed to legislation that would return city schools to mayoral control because they could not be satisfied, saying he would not be like former British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain.
"There’s a point at which, you remember Neville Chamberlain, no matter how many times you said yes, that’s just the starting point for the next round," Bloomberg said, according to the cable station NY1. "There’s always more, more, more."
A group of four Democratic state senators responded that Bloomberg had essentially compared them to the Nazis.
"It’s a sad comment," said state Sen. Carl Kruger to NY1. "Even to raise the name of Hitler, in and of itself, should have a public rebuke and is worthy of apology."
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.