Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman has made an impassioned plea to Jewish New Yorkers, asking for their support in the upcoming November elections to counter what he describes as "Israel-bashing" by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Blakeman, who is Jewish, addressed the Bukharian Jewish Congress, asserting that he is the sole gubernatorial candidate capable of confronting Mamdani and combating rising antisemitism.
Speaking in Forest Hills on Wednesday, the three-year anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel, Blakeman stated, "There is only one person that can stop Zohran Mamdani and that is the governor of the state of New York." He contrasted his stance with that of incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul, accusing her of encouraging Mamdani and campaigning with him.
Blakeman, wearing a kippah, described his motivation as a desire to fight for his own family and for the families of the attendees. "I am going to fight for my children and my grandchildren. I am going to fight for your children and your grandchildren. But I can’t do it alone… You need to get into this fight," he urged.
The Bukharian Jewish community, comprising approximately 70,000 individuals who immigrated from Central Asian and former Soviet-bloc countries, resides primarily in Queens. This community largely supported former Governor Andrew Cuomo over Mamdani in the previous mayoral race.
Blakeman, who is trailing in polls against Hochul, is attempting to connect with Jewish voters who are reportedly concerned about the increase in antisemitism and Mamdani's critical remarks regarding Israel. He referenced the atrocities of the Oct. 7 attacks and criticized Mamdani for equating the attacks with the Palestinian cause on the anniversary of the massacre.
"The antisemitism is out of control," Blakeman said. "We have a mayor of New York City who put a statement just today, on Oct. 7, where he makes a moral equivalence between the attack on Oct. 7 and the Palestinian cause, whatever that cause may be."
Blakeman has previously accused Mamdani, who is Muslim, of making antisemitic statements. "I wouldn’t let Zohran Mamdani get away with the virulent antisemitic comments he’s made," Blakeman told JNS.com. "I would tell him to stop or, if he didn’t, take action against him, which the governor has the power to do."
Mamdani, however, has stated his opposition to Israel's actions toward Palestinians while affirming his support for Jewish residents and his zero-tolerance policy for antisemitism.
Governor Hochul has been a vocal supporter of Israel, visiting the country shortly after the Oct. 7 attacks. While Hochul directed flags to be flown at half-staff on state buildings in solidarity with Israel and highlighted her administration's efforts to combat antisemitism, including $130 million allocated to fight hate crimes, she has largely refrained from directly criticizing Mamdani. Her campaign stated she is "the first American official to visit disaster sites in Israel in the wake of the October 7th attack" and "will never stop fighting back against antisemitism every time it rears its head and she will never stop standing up for Jewish New Yorkers."
Hochul is seeking her second full term as governor. She currently holds a significant financial advantage and leads in voter registration across New York State.