Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman made graphic, fear-based remarks during a private meeting with Hasidic leaders in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, warning of potential violence against Jewish communities under a hypothetical Mamdani administration. Blakeman, who is Jewish and the Nassau County executive, invoked the 1991 Crown Heights riots and questioned whether NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani would protect synagogues or Jewish women from attack. The comments, obtained by The New York Times, drew sharp criticism from Jewish leaders and Hochul allies, who called the rhetoric irresponsible and exploitative.
Rabbi Moishe Indig of the Satmar Hasidic group, which supports Kathy Hochul, rejected the fearmongering, noting crime is at historic lows and Mamdani has taken swift action on hate crimes. Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor, has allocated $26 million to hate crime prevention and maintained a visible presence at Jewish events. Public polls show Hochul leading Blakeman by 9 to 19 points.
City Comptroller Mark Levine, also Jewish, condemned Blakeman’s remarks as "wildly irresponsible," while praising Hochul for passing a law creating protest buffer zones around religious institutions.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing