Crossposted by permission of the author from Facebook:
“In Defense of Rocque Perez
A wise person once stated, “character is defined by choices and the lessons drawn from them. True growth happens when you turn missteps into wisdom and triumphs into humility, continually refining your moral compass.” We learn from our past actions and we grow from them.
Rocque Perez is not perfect. He will admit it to you as someone who has endured a lot throughout his life and learned from each experience. These experiences make him all the more prepared to represent Tucson as the first of his generation to enter the legislature.
Ironically, the smear campaign against him is being waged by some Jewish people in our community that I once looked up to. Not anymore. People who purport to be devout Jews and should be following the tenets of the Torah, but don’t. Tenets such as Tikkun Olam, which holds that our purpose on this earth is to heal and repair, not to vanquish and destroy. These people are spreading lies about Rocque. They are calling him an “antisemite.” They are weaponizing “antisemitism”, as they have against other political candidates without any foundation. I have defended multiple candidates previously from these actions. I have been personally attacked and called a “terrorist supporter” and “blood traitor” by one of Rep. Hernandez’ supporter (Robert Rowley, who wanted to end Cathy Rivers career and also told me when I defended the Rialto that he fucked my wife, which is really a nice thing to be saying when you are judging another person). As a person raised in a Jewish household, I find it deplorable. It makes me sick.
Is antisemitism a problem? Yes.
Is it something that we should combat? Yes.
But, what she and her surrogates are doing is not helping the cause and actually creates more hostility against Jews. They are using it to smear Rocque and instead of focusing on issues important to Tucson, they are engaging in a smear campaign that I would expect from Trump and the MAGA crowd.
The same people are using what amounts to revenge porn to attack Rocque. The story that broke was originally shared by a right-wing rag based in California. Now these purported Democrats are using it to attack their own. Also, in speaking with Ray Stern for this hit piece in the AZ Republic, Rocque took responsibility for his past rhetoric and vowed to do better, despite what was misconfigured to fit a narrative.
When you know you’ll lose on the issues, you will focus on ad hominem attacks. This is a classic strategy from someone who has to live with their own political record as the candidate in the race who has voted with republicans more than 140 times during her tenure. I once supported Rep. Hernandez and even donated to her campaign. What I have seen from her in the past several years is disappointing. She spends most of her time on social media simping for the state of Israel. She constantly plays the victim card using her Jewishness as a defense mechanism.
Rep. Hernandez posted yesterday that Rocque’s actions are “unbecoming” and “disqualifying”. Frankly, I think many in our state house and senate should be disqualified by their support of ICE and their unlawful actions. I think most of the reps don’t care about the communities they represent and the families who are hurting under this administration. Their actions have had devastating impacts on their local economies, education, and health and I think that we should look at the issues and how Rep. Hernandez has handled herself (and these are just a sampling):
• In 2023 she called for the investigation of the Rialto, a local cultural institution in her district, by accusing them of discrimination against Jews. Her claim was that they were discriminating because they canceled a concert by Matisyahu. This was not discrimination, but she felt the need to post about this on Twitter (X) and tag the IRS (screenshot below). A rep who attacks her own community and business (the executive director is Jewish). Despite my asking her to take it down, she left the post up for months potentially impacting the business and their employees. In fact, her supporter, Robert Rowley, who is actively pushing on the smear campaign for Rep. Hernandez, did exactly what she is decrying in a message to me (screenshot below).
• She pushed a bill through the state legislature that would allow people to sue educators for purported antisemitism. This sort of bill is not only wrongheaded it would have allowed for the indiscriminate litigation against educators for actions that are not, per se, antisemitism. It also would have had a chilling effect on the first amendment rights of many. Teachers who engage in real hate speech already face repercussions. It was vetoed by Governor Hobbs.
• She had no problem using a traumatized immigrant, who had lost her husband and 2 close friends from an ICE abduction, to try and make herself look good. Who asks themselves, “hey, your friends were just arrest by ICE…let’s get a selfie together so I can post about you?” Not only that, a selfie with a person who is living in fear of being arrested by ICE. Putting it on social media? Fucking appalling. Look at the post below. She could have spoken about the plight of this lady without the selfie and touting her generous act of getting her groceries and money. Her comments were completely self-serving. I might add, in 2022 she supported HB2326, which sought to create a public database of undocumented immigrants who interact with the justice system. Instead of standing with immigrant families, she broke with Democrats, and even her brother, to further their harm.
Tonight at the Udall event, I’ll sit next to my brother Rocque, not because of what he has done in the past (which literally harmed no one), but what he has learned from his past actions and what he can mean for the future of Arizona, not foreign interests. Rocque is running with the interest of equally defending all of our community regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, political opinion, etc. He will fight to fund and support veterans, he will champion affordable housing, he will protect our environment and make sure our failing education system is properly funded. Isn’t that what we want from a state rep?
Rep. Hernandez loves to play the victim. The Jewish victim card. But, today Rep. Hernandez, you are the oppressor and your previous actions make YOU unqualified to be an elected representative in Arizona.
I stand with Rocque.”
Ed. MDB Note: Mo Goldman is a prominent immigration attorney in Tucson, who most recently ran a primary for Congress in CD 6, before dropping his bid in favor of JoAnna Mendoza. When I spoke with Mo, he asked that I share this upcoming event for Dreamers in general, but specifically for Karla Toledo, who was recently detained by ICE simply because she’s a Dreamer. Mo is her attorney and is seeking a stay of her deportation procedure.
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Mo Goldman has lost his way, and has become a disgrace to our local Tucson Jewish and Democratic communities in his support of LD 20 State Senate candidate Roque Perez.
Perez has a history of posting violent, misogynistic threats, along with pornography, on social media. Mo had been doing his best to cover up that social media history, and it was in fact scrubbed. Anytime somebody tried to bring it bring Perez’ social media history up, Mo would shut them down. Mo was successful in that endeavor until a few days ago, when Perez’ social media history exploded over statewide media.
There are two ways to handle scandal management in politics 1) Own up to it, accept the behavior, explain you were wrong and have learned from it or 2) the Trump way-deny and go on the attack against your opponent for reasons unrelated to behavior that caused the scandal.
Unfortunately, Mo has chosen the Trump way and has gone on the attack against Rep. Alma Hernandez for reasons that have nothing to do with Perez’ behavior.
In his post below, Mo dishonestly states that Perez owned up to his behavior and has grown. Mo says Roque “took responsibility for his past rhetoric, and vowed to do better” But that is a dishonest statement. Perez response to his violent social media history when confronted with it was he is “not going to relegate what was me or not me.” and he was “cognizant before he ran for office that doing so would likely mean the posts would be discussed publicly” That is hardly taking responsibility and vowing to do better
https://tucson.com/…/article_46da81c7-22fc-4fa8-90a8…
So instead of going high, Mo went low. He calls bringing out the facts about Perez past behavior “a smear campaign” Part of the reality of politics is past behavior is fair game, not a smear. But Mo went on the attack against Alma and her supporters in the Jewish Community for how we practice our Jewish faith. Mo claims we are spreading lies about Roque and said we are not practicing the tenets of the Torah. Maybe Mo wasn’t paying attention if he went to Religious School, or he needs to attend a Synagogue sometime, but bringing up a candidates past social media in a political campaign does not violate the tenents of the Torah.
Mo then goes to attack Alma and her supporters for calling out Perez for his Anti Semitism. For months Roque has been attacking Alma as a Zionist, and saying that is a reason not to vote for her. He has Instagram post with Alma pic, saying in big letters “Zionist” Zionist just means you support the rights of the Jewish people to have their own self determination. The vast majority of Jewish People are Zionist who support the existence of the State of Israel. Popular influencers like Hasan Piker have hit the mainstream in their campaign to exclude all who identify as a Zionist from public life. That is textbook Anti Semitism. Substitute the word Jew for Zionist, and you are in the Nazi Germany of Mo’s grandparents. So yes, Roque Perez IS an Anti Semite, and it is DISGRACEFUL that Mo Goldman is his campaign manager, and defends him in public. Mo seems to have turned his back on his own people.
Then Mo goes on in his post, and lies about Alma’s past. He says:
1) “Alma spends most of her time on social simping for the State of Israel. She constantly plays the victim card using her Jewishness as a defense mechanism” this is patently untrue. Alma has been one of the most effective legislators getting bills through on many issues, and post about a variety of matters. But she has been a victim of Anti Semitism (some of which Mo helps facilitate).
2) Mo also lies in his post about what occurred at the Rialto in 2023. Alma correctly voiced her outrage when Matisyahu was cancelled at the last minute for being a Jewish artist and called for an investigation. Mo for some reason felt the need to cover up the blatant discrimination at the Rialto, and attacked Alma, saying she is an “embarrassment to our community” Actually, the embarrassment to the community at the time was Mo for sticking up for discrimination against Jews.
3) Mo accuses Alma of exploiting an undocumented immigrant during an ICE abduction. Alma was bringing attention to an injustice in our community and was not using a traumatized immigrant. It is interesting to note that Mo had the women with DACA status arrested by ICE recently at a political event last night sitting at a table with Roque Perez. So who here is exploiting traumatized immigrants?
4) Alma does not “play the Jewish Victim Card” as Mo accuses. Mo may be in denial, but Anti Semitism has skyrocketed in the last few years, and Alma is a fierce advocate for our local Jewish Community, as well at the the local LGBT community, children, Unions, Educators, and many others.
It is actually Mo and Roque who are the oppressors, and Roque has shown himself to be completely unqualified to be an elected representative in Arizona.
Mo should immediately step down as Roque Perez campaign manager for the interest of his clients and the Tucson community.