Mamdani Calls Blakeman a Racist After GOP Nominee for Governor Said the Mayor Was an Antisemite

Mayor Zohran Mamdani has called Bruce Blakeman a racist after the Republican candidate for Governor accused the mayor of watering down the definition of antisemitism.During his Tuesday night debate with Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, Mr. Blakeman was asked about comments he made to Hasidic leaders in Brooklyn in which he claimed that neither Mr. Mamdani nor Ms. Hochul would stop rioters from “burning down the Yeshivas and your shuls…and raping your women.”“Zohran Mamdani is an anti-Semite,” Mr. Blakeman said. “The first thing he did as mayor, with all the issues that face New York City, the first thing he did was sign an executive order to water down the definition of anti-Semitism. Shame on you, mayor.” Mr. Mamdani responded on Wednesday “It’s not even a dog whistle,” Mr. Mamdani said during an economic development event. “It’s just directly racist to say that I would not respond to Jewish New Yorkers being killed and raped.”“It is hard for anyone to keep up with all of the bigotry and racism that Bruce Blakeman exhibits on a regular basis,” the mayor added.On his first day in office, Mr. Mamdani signed an executive order revoking all orders issued by former Mayor Eric Adams from September 2024 through the day Mr. Mamdani was sworn in. Among those orders by Mr. Adams that were rescinded was the city’s formal adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism.During the debate, Ms. Hochul had called Mr. Blakeman’s remark about Mr. Mamdani “just insulting” but did not spring to Mr. Mamdani’s defense. Ms. Hochul sought to aggressively tie Mr. Blakeman to President Donald Trump, who is extremely unpopular in New York state. Mr. Blakeman was more muted in trying to tie Ms. Hochul to Mr. Mamdani, who is a lightning rod for criticism but whose poll numbers are higher than the President’s in New York.Blakeman has been running a stronger than expected campaign against Ms. Hochul, with numerous polls showing him within single digits of the Governor. The debate was his one opportunity to go one-on-one with Ms. Hochul before Election Day.During the news conference, Mr. Mamdani re-aired a comment Mr. Blakeman made earlier this year saying progressive, anti-Zionist former City Comptroller Brad Lander “would be a camp guard in the concentration camp if he could.”In response, Mr. Blakeman’s campaign Wednesday again highlighted the mayor’s refusal to condemn the chant “globalize the intifada” and refocused on a song released by Mr. Mamdani during his brief career as a hip hop artist. In the 2017 song, called “Salaam” Mr. Mamdani gave “love to the Holy Land Five. You better look ‘em up.”Five men who headed up the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development organization were convicted in 2008 for material support to the Hamas terrorist organization.

Mamdani Calls Blakeman a Racist After GOP Nominee for Governor Said the Mayor Was an Antisemite

Mamdani Calls Blakeman a Racist After GOP Nominee for Governor Said the Mayor Was an Antisemite

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