Johnson, House Republicans meet with Hasidic leaders in New York
House Speaker Mike Johnson delivered a speech on antisemitism, Israel and school choice, toured a synagogue under construction and participated in a roundtable
Courtesy House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA)
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) met on Sunday with Hasidic leaders in New Square and Monsey, N.Y., alongside local GOP congressmen. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), joined by Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Marc Molinaro toured a synagogue under construction in New Square and participated in a roundtable discussion in Monsey.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) met on Sunday with Hasidic leaders in New Square and Monsey, N.Y., alongside local GOP congressmen, and delivered a speech addressing the fight against antisemitism, support for Israel and school choice.
Johnson, joined by Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Marc Molinaro (R-NY),toured a synagogue under construction in New Square and participated in a roundtable discussion in Monsey.
“Speaker Johnson has placed a great emphasis on listening and learning from people in every corner of the country, and we were honored to have been in New York to hear from Jewish Americans,” Molinaro said in a statement. “Somehow in America, in the year 2024, Jewish Americans are afraid to practice their religion, afraid to express their support for Israel, and face archaic restrictions on education. We know it’s wrong and the Speaker joined us in pledging to speak out and act against the restrictions and the hate.”
Lawler and Molinaro, previously with the help of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), have worked to rally support in ultra-Orthodox communities in their highly competitive districts. The two are among the top Democratic targets in the House this November.
“It was an honor to have the Speaker of the House visit Rockland County for the second year in a row. Speaker Johnson and I had critical conversations about combating antisemitism and the importance of supporting Israel with my constituents, and I’m thankful for his support,” Lawler said. “I look forward to continuing to deliver for the Hudson Valley for years to come, and know that the Speaker is committed to helping make that a reality.”
Johnson’s trip to New York also included a lunch event with leaders from NORPAC, a grassroots pro-Israel group, where Johnson discussed his support for Israel and his view of the war between Israel and Hamas as a conflict between good and evil, further arguing that the U.S. should not be attempting to dictate Israeli military strategy, according to organizer Trudy Stern, who praised Johnson as a “great friend of Israel.”