The penalty is less severe than the original legislation endorsed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, which would have charged such obstruction as a felony, but expands the buffer zone to 50 feet
Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images
NYPD officers set up barricades separating pro-Israel and anti-Israel protesters on Sept. 25, 2025 in New York City.
Add JewishInsider on GoogleThe final version of the New York state “buffer zone” legislation passed by the state Legislature on Tuesday makes it a Class B misdemeanor — one of the lowest levels of criminal offense — to “knowingly” infringe on the right of access or egress to a religious institution, or to cause those entering or exiting to fear for their safety from a distance of less than 50 feet.
The language is less punitive than the legislation that Gov. Kathy Hochul initially endorsed, which would have made it a low-level felony for demonstrators to obstruct doorways and driveways at houses of worship. But the 50-foot enforcement zone in the final draft is twice as large as the one described in the earlier versions of the bill, and would apply to sidewalks as well as private parking lots and other entry points.
The measure explicitly covers community centers, as well as any other sort of facility that “a reasonable person would know that religious adherents collectively recognize as a place to regularly gather for or hold religious services, observance, prayer, assembly, education, instruction, or devotional practice” — indicating that the bill also shields religious schools.
UJA-Federation of New York, which became a leading proponent for the measure following pro-Hamas protests that targeted synagogues in Manhattan and Queens, applauded the measure ahead of its passage as part of the legislative package around the New York state budget.
The Jewish advocacy group particularly praised Hochul — as well as state Sen. Sam Sutton and Assemblymember Micah Lasher — for championing the proposal.
“We commend Governor Hochul and the state legislature for taking decisive action to protect New Yorkers by passing ‘buffer zone’ legislation, ensuring that safety and security remain a top priority across our communities,” the group said in a statement to Jewish Insider. “Governor Hochul, Senator Sutton, and Assemblyman Lasher have demonstrated strong leadership in their unwavering effort to help ensure safe access to critical community institutions and safeguard the right to worship free of harassment and intimidation.”
The state legislation is distinct from a recently passed city law compelling the NYPD to develop formal protocols for deploying security perimeters around houses of worship during protests. Both measures, as well as a separate New York City bill to establish security perimeter policy around schools — vetoed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, but since modified and reintroduced in the New York City Council — have received criticism from civil liberties groups, who allege they could interfere with First Amendment protections.
Hochul, for her part, heralded the measure as a victory for freedom of worship. The measure goes under her pen Tuesday evening, her office told JI.
“Every New Yorker should be able to enter their house of worship and practice their religion without fear,” the governor said in a statement. “As we’re witnessing an alarming rise in hate-fueled attacks and blatant antisemitism, I’m grateful our buffer zones legislation has passed and New Yorkers will be safer because of it.”
The New Jersey governor’s office said she ‘will evaluate the program’ once more information is available; across the river, Gov. Kathy Hochul already agreed to join
Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill during an election night event in East Brunswick, New Jersey, on Nov. 4, 2025.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill has not committed to joining a new federal education tax initiative being championed by Jewish community advocates to secure funding for Jewish day schools and yeshivas, which New York Gov. Kathy Hochul recently agreed to adopt.
“Governor Sherrill will evaluate the program once the Trump Administration has finalized and published its rules. The Governor’s top priority is building New Jersey into the best public school system in the nation for all our kids,” Maggie Garbarino, Sherrill’s deputy press secretary, told Jewish Insider on Tuesday.
Starting in the 2027 tax year, the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit, part of President Donald Trump’s 2025 flagship policy package, provides a dollar-for-dollar tax credit — up to $1,700 annually — for donations to approved Scholarship Granting Organizations. These SGOs offer scholarships for a variety of K-12 public and private education expenses, including private school tuition, transportation and tutoring.
If states don’t opt in, taxpayers can still donate, but residents of that state won’t receive the benefit.
While nearly all Republican governors have already opted in, their Democratic counterparts have been hesitant. Some critics have voiced concerns that the program has insufficient oversight against fraud or that it could divert public money to private schools.
On Friday, a spokesperson for Hochul confirmed to JI that the governor told Jewish leaders at a private event hosted by Agudath Israel that she plans to opt in.
The move makes Hochul the second Democratic official to join the program, following Colorado Gov. Jared Polis in February. Governors have to opt in by the end of the year for taxpayers to be eligible for the credit.
Democratic leaders of other states with large Jewish populations have yet to say whether they intend to follow Hochul’s lead. In February, a spokesperson for Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said his administration “is awaiting federal guidance to address key questions about how this program would work.”
Shapiro’s spokesperson told JI on Monday that there are no updates on his stance.
Spokespeople for Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger did not respond to requests for comment.
Spanberger is in a different position compared to other Democrats — because her predecessor, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, opted Virginia into the program shortly before leaving office, she would need to formally reverse that decision to prevent the state from joining.
The move makes Hochul the second Democratic governor to join the tax credit program
Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul
Gov. Kathy Hochul tours Anne Frank exhibit and delivers remarks at the Anti-Hate Center in Education at the Center for Jewish History.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul confirmed to Jewish leaders on Thursday that she will opt into a new federal education tax initiative, a move promoted by community advocates to help fund Jewish day schools and yeshivas.
Starting in the 2027 tax year, the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit, part of President Donald Trump’s 2025 flagship policy package, provides a dollar-for-dollar tax credit — up to $1,700 annually — for donations to approved Scholarship Granting Organizations. These SGOs offer scholarships for a variety of K-12 public and private education expenses, including private school tuition, transportation and tutoring.
If states don’t opt in, taxpayers can still donate, but residents of that state won’t receive the benefit.
A spokesperson for Hochul confirmed to Jewish Insider that the governor told Jewish leaders she will opt in.
The move would make Hochul the second Democratic official to join the program, following Colorado Gov. Jared Polis in February.
While nearly all Republican governors have already opted in, their Democratic counterparts have been hesitant. Some critics have voiced concerns that the program has insufficient oversight against fraud or that it could divert public money to private schools.
New York would be the 30th state to opt in. States have the next several months to choose to participate.
Teach Coalition, an Orthodox Union-run organization that advocates for government funding and resources for yeshivas and Jewish day schools, as well as Jewish Federations of North America, have for months lobbied governors and met with Jewish communities to educate on the initiative. The tax credit push marks the first time JFNA has waded into the issue of Jewish day school affordability.
Hochul’s “support for this program puts New York at the forefront of expanding educational opportunity and positions the state as a leader among blue states looking to empower families,” said Sydney Altfield, CEO of Teach Coalition. “We are also deeply grateful to the parents, advocates, educators, and community leaders whose voices helped make this moment possible. This is bigger than New York. Blue states across the country will now be watching closely.”
The New York governor defended her plan to establish a felony penalty for protesters who come within 25 feet of a religious institution
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Gov. Kathy Hold takes questions following a roundtable with local government leaders on housing development on Monday, March 23, 2026, at the Capitol in Albany, N.Y.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a challenge Wednesday to those seeking to challenge her plan to penalize protesters who get too close to religious institutions — “Bring it on.”
Announcing new state programs to provide support and security for organizations deemed “vulnerable to hate crimes,” the governor, a Democrat, took questions regarding her proposal to bar demonstrations of more than two people from occurring within 25 feet of a house of worship. Violators would potentially face felony charges.
“I believe I have the right to protect people’s constitutional right to free exercise of religion,” Hochul told reporters when asked if she had concerns whether the legislation might provoke challenges on First Amendment grounds. “So if that means we test it in court, bring it on.”
Hochul’s bill, currently under consideration in the state Legislature, differs significantly from “buffer zone” legislation recently passed in the New York City Council: The municipal measure does not include new criminal penalties, but simply compels the NYPD to establish a written policy for securing access and egress for worshippers during protests. It originally suggested that police might keep rallies up to 100 feet from doorways and driveways at religious facilities, but Council Speaker Julie Menin’s team removed such language following consultations with attorneys and local law enforcement.
Observers consider the draft statute in Albany much stronger, and passing it has become a priority for leading Jewish organizations, after pro-Hamas demonstrators massed outside synagogues in Queens and Manhattan in recent months. Civil liberties groups have complained the law would restrict free speech. One reporter asked why the bill did not establish an even larger protest-free zone.
“I think 25 feet is reasonable,” Hochul said at the event.
The Supreme Court has in the past approved of limited restrictions on rallies so long as the rules are narrowly tailored and do not discriminate based on the content of demonstrators’ speech. But it also has struck down buffer-zone laws applying to abortion clinics for failing to meet those standards.
Adams initiated a contentious ceasefire resolution at the NYC council and was the first speaker not to visit Israel
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Adrienne Adams, then a New York City mayoral candidate, walks on stage at the National Action Network Convention in New York, US, on Thursday, April 3, 2025.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has selected former New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams as her running mate in her reelection race this year — a pick that provoked both applause and consternation among leaders of the state’s Jewish community.
Adams, who vied unsuccessfully against Mayor Zohran Mamdani for Gracie Mansion last year, declared herself “ready for this fight” in embracing her new role as the No. 2 on the Democrats’ gubernatorial ticket. Lieutenant gubernatorial candidates run separately from governors in primaries in New York State, but form a combined slate with their party’s pick in the general election.
If victorious, Adams would become the first city council speaker to ever win higher office after leading the municipal legislature.
But Adams has already made history in a different way: besides being the first Black woman to hold the speaker role since its creation in 1989, she was also the first occupant of the position not to lead a delegation to Israel. Although she denied that she was boycotting the country, she raised concerns in 2024 when her office drafted an ultimately abandoned resolution urging a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that one Jewish community leader described to Jewish Insider on Wednesday as “one-sided” and “inflammatory.”
“It’s a disappointing pick,” the leader who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of their position, said of Hochul’s announcement. “There were definitely picks that had a much stronger relationship with the Jewish community.”
However, this sentiment was far from unanimous. David Greenfield, CEO of the influential Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, took to X to declare Adams “an inspired choice.”
“Adrienne is awesome and will make a great Lieutenant Governor,” wrote Greenfield, who himself formerly served as a Democratic city councilman.
Many New York Democrats, from Gov. Kathy Hochul to Attorney General Letitia James, quickly spoke up. It took Mamdani over a day to do the same.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
New York City Mayoral Zohran Mamdani (L) and former Mayor Eric Adams attend the annual 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony on September 11, 2025 in New York City.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism from Democratic leaders over his delayed and muted response to last week’s pro-Hamas protest in Queens that caused nearby schools and a synagogue to close early in anticipation of the demonstration, where dozens of masked protesters chanted “We support Hamas” near the synagogue.
Democratic elected officials across New York — including left-wing politicians hostile to Israel, like Mamdani ally and former City Comptroller Brad Lander — were quick to release statements condemning the support for Hamas that was on display at the demonstration, which was organized by the group Palestinian Assembly for Liberation, [PAL]-Awda, to protest an event held by CapitIL, a Jerusalem-based real estate agency.
The event was held at the Modern Orthodox synagogue Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills.
A flyer promoting the protest, which took place on a residential street about half a block from the synagogue, called the meeting an “illegal event” promoting “blatant land theft and dispossession.” Keffiyeh-clad demonstrators also chanted “There is only one solution, intifada revolution,” “Globalize the intifada,” and “Death to the IDF” for more than two hours while banging on drums.
“Let’s be crystal clear: this is vile antisemitism,” Lander, who is running to unseat Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) as a Mamdani-endorsed challenger in New York’s 10th Congressional District, said on Friday morning. “This should not have to be said: you can oppose land sales in the West Bank, without supporting terrorism & the mass murder of Jews.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul, who endorsed Mamdani in the mayoral election, also weighed in on Friday morning, saying, “Hamas is a terrorist organization that calls for the genocide of Jews. No matter your political beliefs, this type of rhetoric is disgusting, it’s dangerous, and it has no place in New York,”
New York Attorney General Letitia James said Friday midday, “Hamas is a terrorist organization. We do not support terrorists. Period.”
Other New York Democratic leaders who condemned the protest quickly and directly on Thursday and Friday included New York City Comptroller Mark Levine, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Reps. Grace Meng and Ritchie Torres.
But the newly inaugurated mayor remained silent Thursday night and much of the following day regarding the demonstration, which marked his first major test in protecting the city’s Jewish community.
His spokesperson did not respond to multiple inquiries from Jewish Insider on Thursday, including one asking whether the mayor’s team had discouraged demonstrators from protesting and another, immediately after the event, asking if he condemned any of the slogans chanted.
Mamdani broke his silence late in the afternoon on Friday when he was asked about the protesters’ pro-Hamas chant by Politico reporter Jason Beeferman while leaving a campaign event in Brooklyn for Democratic Socialists of America-endorsed candidate Claire Valdez, who is running for a Brooklyn-Queens congressional seat held by Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY)
“That language is wrong,” Mamdani replied while walking to a car after the event. “I think that language has no place in New York City.”
Mamdani later followed up with an additional statement just after Shabbat started in New York: “As I made clear, the rhetoric and displays that we saw and heard in Kew Gardens Hills last night are wrong and have no place in our city,” he said. “My team is in close touch with the NYPD regarding last night’s protest and counterprotest. We will continue to ensure New Yorkers’ safety entering and exiting houses of worship as well as the constitutional right to protest.”
On Saturday, when asked at a press conference why he didn’t “condemn both sides,” Mamdani answered, “I absolutely have an opposition to the sale of land in the West Bank. It’s a violation of international law and that comes from my belief in the importance of following international law.”
“It’s been a distressing few months for Jews everywhere. I appreciated the mayor’s statement,” Democratic strategist Chris Coffey told JI. “Could it have come earlier? Sure. But being mayor in the first week is pure pandemonium and chaos. The important part is that he got it right.”
But Mamdani’s eventual response was met with continued concern from Jewish leaders over its delay and neglect to specifically condemn Hamas. In a sign of the far-left character of his political base, he also received criticism from DSA-aligned allies in his own camp for criticizing the protest.
“It’s a step up from his statement [after the Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attacks in Israel], which failed to even mention Hamas. Still, it’s concerning that it takes the mayor of the city with the largest population of Jews outside of Israel nearly 24 hours to condemn blatant antisemitism when every other major elected in New York found the time,” Democratic state Assemblymember Sam Berger, who represents the district where the protest took place, told JI on Sunday.
Another Democratic Queens assemblymember, Nily Rozic, told JI, “It shouldn’t take the mayor [nearly] 24 hours to condemn an antisemitic protest layered in antisemitism, let alone one that openly supports terror organizations.”
Rozic expressed dismay over the timing of the statement after Shabbat.
“If the mayor were genuine in his concern over Jewish safety he would have acted with urgency and not waited so long, when most of those impacted wouldn’t see his statement until long after,” she told JI.
“I am a vocal & passionate support[er] of Mamdani’s,” Adam Carlson, founding partner of the polling group Zenith Polls, wrote on X. “But I’ve waited patiently all day for him to forcefully condemn Hamas — watching dozens of other city & state electeds do so — and am still waiting. This is not only hurtful to me, but it’s bad politics & distracts from his agenda.”
New York magazine writer David Freedlander posted screenshots on X of texts sent to him on Friday afternoon from two city political operatives, both “broadly supportive of Mamdani.”
The messages were identical: “Zohran is completely blowing this pro-Hamas protest thing.”
The move by the prominent Republican, who gained attention for her grilling of university presidents amid federal inquiries into campus antisemitism, comes a month after she entered the race
Kent Nishimura/Getty Images
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on her nomination to be Ambassador to the United Nations on Capitol Hill on January 21, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) announced on Friday that she was ending her campaign for governor of New York, an abrupt and unexpected move that comes just over a month after the Republican congresswoman launched her bid to unseat Gov. Kathy Hochul.
In addition to not running for governor, Stefanik said in a statement posted to social media that she also would not seek reelection to her House seat, making her future plans unclear. Stefanik said the decision to end her short-lived gubernatorial bid was based on her desire to spend more time with family and the uphill battle she would face in the general election after what would likely be a bruising Republican primary battle.
“While spending precious time with my family this Christmas season, I have made the decision to suspend my campaign for Governor and will not seek re-election to Congress. I did not come to this decision lightly for our family,” Stefanik wrote on social media.
Stefanik added, “As we have seen in past elections, while we would have overwhelmingly won this primary, it is not an effective use of our time or your generous resources to spend the first half of next year in an unnecessary and protracted Republican primary, especially in a challenging state like New York.”
“And while many know me as Congresswoman, my most important title is Mom. I believe that being a parent is life’s greatest gift and greatest responsibility,” she continued. “I have thought deeply about this and I know that as a mother, I will feel profound regret if I don’t further focus on my young son’s safety, growth, and happiness — particularly at his tender age.”
Stefanik’s withdrawal from the race came weeks after Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, another close ally of President Donald Trump, jumped into the GOP primary, setting up a competitive fight ahead of what would be a difficult general election contest for Republicans in the blue state.
Stefanik was briefly Trump’s nominee to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, though she withdrew her nomination as it became clear that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) could not afford another vacancy in the House without risking Republicans’ already slim majority.
Trump said in a statement on his Truth Social platform after Stefanik announced her decision, “Elise is a tremendous talent, regardless of what she does. … She will have GREAT success, and I am with her all the way!”
Johnson, meanwhile, wrote on X, “I know this was a tough decision for my friend and colleague @EliseStefanik, but her resolve to put family first is one that everyone will respect. Elise is an exceptional talent who has served the people of New York valiantly in Congress.”
“She will continue to be [a] leading force for our party and its principles no matter what the next chapter brings,” he added. “We are grateful for her service and wish her well in her next endeavors.”
The upstate New York lawmaker, a pro-Israel stalwart in Congress, had said during her confirmation process earlier this year that anti-Israel and antisemitic bias at the U.N. was a major factor that drove her interest in the Turtle Bay role. As she began considering entering the governor’s race this fall, Stefanik became a vocal critic of Hochul, frequently tying her to New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and his policies.
Stefanik has gained attention in the Jewish community in the two years since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, most notably due to her aggressive questioning of university presidents about campus antisemitism.
Jay Jacobs, who broke with Gov. Kathy Hochul in refusing to back Mamdani, cited the nominee’s hostility to Israel as a key motivating factor
Yuki Iwamura-Pool/Getty Images
Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani
Jay Jacobs, the chairman of the New York Democratic Party, said on Thursday he will not endorse Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City, notably breaking with Gov. Kathy Hochul, who recently announced her support for the Democratic nominee.
In a statement, Jacobs said he had a “positive conversation” with Mamdani, the 33-year-old democratic socialist and Queens assemblyman, soon after the primary, and dismissed what he called “the fear-mongering around him and his candidacy” as “wrong and a gross over-reaction.”
But while Jacobs said he shared Mamdani’s belief that “America’s greatest problem is the continued growth in income disparity in our nation,” the state party chair noted they “fundamentally disagree” on “how to address it.”
Jacobs, who is Jewish, also cited Mamdani’s staunch opposition to Israel, an issue on which the nominee has recently indicated he has no intention of budging, as a major source of contention.
“Furthermore, as I expressed to him directly, I strongly disagree with his views on the State of Israel, along with certain key policy positions,” Jacobs said of Mamdani, who has vowed to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he is elected and said he would move to terminate a city program to foster partnerships between companies in Israel and New York City, among other positions that have raised concerns among Jewish leaders.
Jacobs did not elaborate on particular policies that Mamdani has proposed, including free bus service, government-run grocery stores, universal childcare and rent freezes, some of which have faced scrutiny from the business and real estate communities.
He also voiced strong objections to the far-left platform of the Democratic Socialists of America, of which Mamdani has long been a member, saying he did not believe the group “represents the principles, values or policies of the Democratic Party.”
“For those reasons I will not be endorsing Mr. Mamdani for mayor of New York City,” Jacob said in his statement.
The decision to withhold his support for Mamdani comes as the mayoral nominee has claimed backing from a growing number of mainstream Democratic leaders in New York, most recently Carl Heastie, the speaker of the state Assembly, a prominent holdout who issued his endorsement on Wednesday — days after Hochul made her announcement last weekend.
Still, some of the state’s top Democratic elected officials, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) as well as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), have continued to remain on the sidelines, with less than two months until the November election.
In splitting with Hochul, Jacobs, who has long sparred with his party’s left-wing base, joins some lawmakers who have recently said they will not back Mamdani; Reps. Laura Gillen (D-NY) and Tom Suozzi (D-NY), who represent Long Island swing districts targeted by Republicans, have criticized Mamdani’s far-left policies and confirmed this week that they will not be supporting his campaign.
Even as he declined to back Mamdani, the clear front-runner, Jacobs said he would not endorse any other candidates in the mayoral race, according to The New York Times.
Mamdani’s opponents include Mayor Eric Adams, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo — both now running as independents — and the GOP nominee, Curtis Sliwa.
A spokesperson for Mamdani did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
‘At a time of skyrocketing antisemitism, his views are far too extreme and would fuel hate and threats against our Jewish community,’ the Long Island congresswoman said
Steve Pfost/Newsday RM via Getty Images
Rep. Laura Gillen speaks during a town hall in Hempstead, New York on April 16, 2025.
Rep. Laura Gillen (D-NY) blasted New York Gov. Kathy Hochul for endorsing Democratic New York City mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, citing Mamdani’s record on antisemitism.
Gillen joins Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY), a fellow Long Island swing district representative, in reaffirming her strong opposition to Mamdani at a time when other New York leaders, including Hochul and Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY), are warming to the controversial nominee.
“I completely disagree with the Governor’s endorsement of Mr. Mamdani,” Gillen told Jewish Insider. “At a time of skyrocketing antisemitism, his views are far too extreme and would fuel hate and threats against our Jewish community. His antisemitic views deserve to be condemned, not endorsed.”
Mamdani recently said he would revoke Mayor Eric Adams’ executive order implementing the use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism in the city, as well as repeated his vow to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at the behest of the International Criminal Court, for committing war crimes if he visits the city.
HILARY WARDHAUGH/AFP via Getty Images
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks during a press conference in Canberra on August 11, 2025.
Good Tuesday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we report on Australia’s expulsion of Iran’s top diplomat over evidence of Tehran’s involvement in attacks on Jewish institutions in the country, and have the scoop on New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plans to sign into law legislation requiring schools in the state to designate anti-discrimination coordinators. We report on Mahmoud Khalil and Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s upcoming appearances at the University of Michigan, and cover the House Education and the Workforce Committee’s investigations of allegations of antisemitism at three medical schools. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Katharina von Schnurbein and Ken Martin.
What We’re Watching
- The Treasury Department is lifting its remaining U.S. sanctions on Syria today, two months after an order from President Donald Trump.
- The Democratic National Committee’s Resolutions Committee is set to vote today on two Israel-related resolutions at the DNC summer meeting in Minneapolis. One resolution, proposed by a Gen Z DNC member from Florida, calls for an arms embargo on the Jewish state, and the other — backed by DNC Chair Ken Martin — calls for a ceasefire, an influx of humanitarian aid into Gaza and a two-state solution.
- New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is slated to sign into law legislation mandating that state schools designate anti-discrimination coordinators to enforce Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. More below.
- Iranian officials are in Geneva today to meet with U.K., French and German officials for nuclear talks.
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S MELISSA WEISS
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Tuesday that Iranian Ambassador to Australia Ahmad Sadeghi, along with three other Iranian diplomats, is being expelled from the country over findings from Australia’s security service that Iran was behind multiple antisemitic attacks in the country — the first time Canberra has expelled a foreign ambassador since World War II.
Albanese, speaking at a press conference alongside the country’s top intelligence official, foreign minister and home affairs minister, called the plots “extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil.”
The expulsion of the Iranian diplomats comes shortly after the arrests of two individuals in connection with a December 2024 Melbourne synagogue attack, in which a synagogue was firebombed while nearly two dozen people were inside. The arson at Sydney’s Lewis’ Continental Kitchen, which took place in October 2024, caused $1 million in damage to the kosher restaurant.
Sadeghi’s expulsion comes amid an explosion of antisemitism down under in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel and Israel’s ensuing war against the terror group in Gaza. More recently, tensions between Canberra and Jerusalem have been strained following Australia’s revocation of visas for several Israeli officials and activists and its plans, announced earlier this month, to recognize a Palestinian state.
Iran and its proxies have an extensive history of plotting attacks against Jewish, Israeli and diplomatic targets abroad, dating back decades. Tehran and its Hezbollah proxy were determined by Argentine courts to be behind the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires as well as the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in the city, which collectively killed 114 people and injured hundreds. More recently, Iran was discovered in 2011 to be plotting to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington.
Tehran has also been discovered to be behind attacks and plots across Europe and Asia, though few countries have taken significant steps to address the Islamic Republic’s malign behavior. Israel has since last April, when Iran launched its first wave of ballistic missile attacks against the Jewish state, pushed for countries to designate the IRGC as a terrorist group.
Capitol Hill has backed such efforts, with more than 130 House legislators signing onto a letter in 2023 calling on the EU to issue such a designation.
mea culpa
Netanyahu: IDF strike on Gaza hospital a ‘tragic mishap’
An Israeli strike on a Gaza hospital yesterday that reportedly killed 20 people, including four journalists, was a “tragic mishap,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday, not long after President Donald Trump criticized the attack, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.
Probe underway: “Israel deeply regrets the tragic mishap that occurred today at the Nasser Hospital in Gaza. Israel values the work of journalists, medical staff and all civilians,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement. “The military authorities are conducting a thorough investigation. Our war is with Hamas terrorists. Our just goals are defeating Hamas and bringing our hostages home.” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he is “not happy” about Israel’s strike on the Nasser Hospital, in the southern Gaza Strip.
Inside Israel: IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said in remarks during a visit to a Haifa naval base on Sunday that the Israeli army has met its objectives in its war with Hamas in Gaza, “including deeply damaging Hamas,” and “as a result of the military pressure, we created the conditions for the release of the hostages.” Read more from JI’s Danielle Cohen-Kanik here.
new york minute
Israeli Foreign Minister Sa’ar meets with American Jewish leaders in New York
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar met on Monday with American Jewish leaders in New York, speaking with the group at a moment when tensions between Diaspora Jews and Israel’s leaders over the conduct of the war in Gaza seem to be growing, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports. The meeting was organized by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and most of its members — representing the Reform, Orthodox and Conservative movements, as well as major national organizations including the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Federations of North America — were present in the room.
Mixed readouts: “We spoke about the war, the plight of the hostages, and the challenges facing Israel, with a clear focus on strengthening U.S.-Israel relations,” Conference of Presidents CEO William Daroff told JI about the “positive and wide-ranging” 90-minute meeting. “The exchange underscored our unity, our partnership with Israel and our shared commitment to the Jewish future.” But two attendees, who requested anonymity, described the meeting as antagonistic, saying Sa’ar took an argumentative tone against Jewish leaders in America who have raised concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
phone a friend
Bernie Sanders campaigns with Israel critics running for Senate
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is slated to appear with Graham Platner, a Democrat running to unseat Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), at a rally in Portland, Maine, on Labor Day, as the progressive leader from Vermont steps up his efforts to boost left-wing candidates who have been outspoken in their criticism of Israel and its ongoing war in Gaza, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports.
Michigan to Maine: Platner, who launched his campaign last week, has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and backed Sanders’ recent resolutions to block arms sales to Israel. The Portland event on Sept. 1, the next stop on Sanders’ nationwide “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, follows a rally in Michigan on Saturday at which the senator sought to boost Abdul El-Sayed, a staunch critic of Israel who is vying to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) in a crowded primary next year.
SCOOP
Hochul to sign Title VI legislation to counter rising campus antisemitism
Responding to heightened campus antisemitism, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul will sign legislation on Tuesday afternoon that requires all colleges in the state to designate anti-discrimination coordinators to enforce Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, her office confirmed to Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel. The bill passed the Legislature unanimously in June.
‘Top priority’: “By placing Title VI coordinators on all college campuses, New York is combating antisemitism and all forms of discrimination head-on,” Hochul, a Democrat, told JI. “No one should fear for their safety while trying to get an education. It’s my top priority to ensure every New York student feels safe at school, and I will continue to take action against campus discrimination and use every tool at my disposal to eliminate hate and bias from our school communities.”
in the hot seat
House Education Committee to investigate antisemitism at UCSF, UCLA, Illinois medical schools
The House Committee on Education and the Workforce will investigate three medical schools over their “failures to address antisemitism,” Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), the chair of the committee, announced on Monday. The three schools targeted in the probe are the University of Illinois College of Medicine (UICOM), University of California, San Francisco and University of California, Los Angeles Geffen School of Medicine, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.
‘Hostility and fear’: The investigations come as medical schools and the medical profession have faced increasing scrutiny over rising antisemitism since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. “The Committee has become aware that Jewish students, faculty, and patients have been experiencing hostility and fear at the university, and it has not been demonstrated that the university has meaningfully responded to address and mitigate this problem,” Walberg wrote to each institution, followed by a list detailing alleged incidents of antisemitism.
back to school
Mahmoud Khalil, Rep. Rashida Tlaib slated to headline August events at University of Michigan
Days after the University of Michigan kicks off the new school year this week, the campus is slated to host two anti-Israel speakers — former Columbia University protest leader Mahmoud Khalil and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), one of the most outspoken critics of Israel in Congress, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.
Campus calendar: On Wednesday afternoon, Tlaib is scheduled to speak at an on-campus press conference titled “United Against Genocide, United Against Repression” hosted by The People’s Coalition Michigan. Later that evening, the campus chapter of Students Organize for Syria is scheduled to host Khalil, who was released in June from the immigration detention center where he had been held for three months as the Trump administration sought to have him deported. The events come days before thousands of pro-Palestinian activists are set to gather in Detroit, beginning Aug. 29, for the second annual People’s Conference for Palestine, under the slogan “Gaza is the Compass.”Read the full story here.
Worthy Reads
Israel, Alone: The New York Times’ Tom Friedman reflects on Israel’s increasingly isolated global status amid the continuation of its war in Gaza and its blunders on the battlefield. “[The Israeli government] is destroying Israel’s standing in the world, it is killing Gazan civilians with seemingly no regard for innocent human life, and it is tearing apart Israeli society and world Jewry, between those Jews who want to still stand with Israel no matter what and those who can no longer tolerate, explain or justify where this Israeli government is taking the Jewish state and now want to distance themselves from it. … So why is the world ganging up only on Israel now? Because it holds Israel to a higher standard than Hamas, because Israel has always held itself to a higher standard. And because the world can tell the difference now between a war being waged for the survival of the Jewish state and a war being waged for the political survival of its prime minister.” [NYTimes]
The Mamdani Effect: In The Washington Post, Ramesh Ponnuru considers the liabilities New York City mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani brings to the Democratic Party as he looks increasingly likely to win the November general election. “This debate ignores what might be the biggest danger that Mamdani poses to the Democratic Party. That danger is not that his performance as mayor, assuming his polling lead holds, will turn off swing voters nationally (although it might). It’s that he will excite Democratic activists in all the wrong ways. His example will encourage them to do what a lot of them already want to do: get louder and lefter. Committed partisans are always tempted to find evidence, however dubious, that being more hard-line is the path to political victory. It happens to people of all political descriptions. In recent years, though, Democrats have been especially prone to political misjudgments of this kind.” [WashPost]
The New Anti-Zionism: In The Jerusalem Post, Betsy Berns Korn and Eric Mandel raise concerns about a new effort to push “Anti-Palestinian Racism,” as the effort, which originated in Canada, gets a foothold in the U.S. “If left unchallenged, APR will reshape public discourse, empower hostile NGOs, and normalize antisemitism in schools, governments, and even corporations. Policymakers must act now. Congress, state legislatures, and school boards should ensure anti-racism curricula are not hijacked to advance anti-Israel ideology. Universities should adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism and resist attempts to elevate APR. Civil society must demand equal standards, where Palestinians are held accountable for terror and incitement just as Israelis are for policy decisions. The stakes could not be higher. Anti-Zionism has always adapted to survive, and APR is its newest disguise.” [JPost]
Word on the Street
The State Department is backing U.S. Ambassador to France Charles Kushner amid a diplomatic row with Paris following the weekend publication of a Wall Street Journal op-ed in which Kushner slammed the country for its failure to address antisemitism; France’s trade minister said in response to Kushner’s criticism that Paris “need take no lessons whatsoever” from the U.S. regarding antisemitism…
More than 75 Jewish organizations around the world signed on to a letter spearheaded by the American Jewish Committee voicing “unequivocal support” for Katharina von Schnurbein, the European Commission coordinator on combating antisemitism, amid calls for her dismissal by EU parliament members over her support for Israel, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports…
The Associated Press looks at internal dissent and fundraising challenges facing the Democratic National Committee and its chair, Ken Martin, amid the group’s summer gathering in Minneapolis, which kicked off on Monday…
In the Minnesota Star Tribune, Sarah Clarke, the wife of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, raises concerns about a planned protest outside the couple’s home on Thursday; in the op-ed, Clarke slams the “threats, harassment and even vandalism that my family endures when people feel entitled to target our family and home for perceived political gain”…
Police in Philadelphia are investigating the vandalism of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History early Friday morning, in which red paint was sprayed on the side of the building over the words “the Weitzman stands with Israel,” which appeared under an Israeli flag…
The George Mason University chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, which had been dormant since it was suspended in the aftermath of the arrests of several chapter leaders, posted a video ahead of the start of the fall semester in which a masked speaker pledged that “the spirit of resistance will not be quenched until we see full liberation of Palestine from the river to the sea”…
The Irish rap group Kneecap canceled the U.S. stops on its upcoming tour, citing the London court appearance of one of its members on terrorism charges as a scheduling conflict; Kneecap member Liam O’Hanna is facing the charges following his display of a Hezbollah flag at a November 2024 show…
Israel announced plans for a “phased reduction” in troops in southern Lebanon as part of an agreement in which Beirut will force the disarmament of Hezbollah…
Israel’s Foreign Ministry downgraded its ties with Brazil, following the South American country’s rejection of former Israeli Ambassador to Colombia Gali Dagan as Jerusalem’s envoy to Brasilia…
Belgium-born diamond baron Maurice Tempelsman, who for more than a decade was the partner of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, died at 95…
Pic of the Day
Former hostage Keith Siegel looked on at the First Selichot gathering at the Western Wall in Jerusalem last night, at the start of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum’s “National Day of Struggle” taking place today across the country to call attention to the plight of the remaining 50 hostages.
Birthdays
Rapper, known professionally as Kosha Dillz, Rami Matan Even-Esh turns 44…
Rabbi (now emeritus) of Congregation Beth Jacob of Atlanta, he made aliyah in 1991, Rabbi Emanuel Feldman turns 98… CEO of Siegelvision, a brand identity consultancy, he is also the founder and chairman emeritus of global brand strategy firm Siegel+Gale, Alan Siegel turns 87… Owner of You Save On Meds, Martin J. Portnoy… Mayor of Tel Aviv since 1998, Ron Huldai turns 81… Partner at the D.C. law firm of Williams & Connolly, Robert B. Barnett turns 79… Former Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives, Irving Slosberg turns 78… Sales representative for ADT Security, Jay Caplan… Vaudeville performer, clown, mime, juggler and sleight of hand magician, known by his stage name “Avner the Eccentric,” Avner Eisenberg turns 77… Co-owner of Rochester, N.Y.-based August Moon Imports and World Tae Kwon Do Center, Jane Cota August… First vice president of the French Senate from 2020 until 2023, Roger Karoutchi turns 74… Venture capitalist, social policy researcher and philanthropist, Freada Kapor Klein turns 73… Board chair of Gap, a retail chain founded by his parents, Robert J. Fisher turns 71… EVP and managing director of polling and consulting at The Mellman Group, Michael J. Bloomfield… CEO of LawMedia Group (LMG), Julian Epstein turns 64… Journalist and co-author of the “Freakonomics” series, Stephen J. Dubner turns 62… Member of the Maryland Senate since 2020, Michelle “Shelly” Laskin Hettleman turns 61… President of NARAL Pro-Choice America for eight years until 2021, Ilyse Hogue turns 56… CFO at Cornerstone OnDemand, Perry Wallack… Managing partner of Austin-based Texas Venture Partners, Lorne Abony turns 56… Managing partner of RNS Strategies based in Portland, Ore., Robert Sacks… Professor at the Olin Business School of Washington University in St. Louis, Steven Malter turns 52… Deputy general counsel at ICANN Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, the coordinator of the Internet’s naming system, Samantha Eisner… Co-founder and CEO of Danari Global, Ariel Maurice (“Ari”) Ratner… Founder and CEO of The Lemon Perfect Company, maker of the enhanced water brand Lemon Perfect, Yanni Hufnagel turns 43… Member of the Knesset for Yesh Atid, she served in the previous government as minister for social equality and minorities, Meirav Cohen turns 42… Singer-songwriter, vocalist, guitarist and co-writer for the indie rock band Tally Hall, Robert Howard “Rob” Cantor turns 42… Principal and founder of Inspire Capital and Development, Brielle Joy Appelbaum… Managing partner of Victor Capital Partners, Doug Korn… John Train… Carrie Shapiro…
AJC CEO Ted Deutch: ‘This law is a meaningful tool to make our campuses places where students can learn without fear of discrimination’
Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul
Gov. Kathy Hochul tours Anne Frank exhibit and delivers remarks at the Anti-Hate Center in Education at the Center for Jewish History.
Responding to heightened campus antisemitism, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul will sign legislation on Tuesday afternoon that requires all colleges in the state to designate anti-discrimination coordinators to enforce Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, her office confirmed to Jewish Insider.
The new bill, which passed the New York State Legislature unanimously in June, was introduced by Assemblywoman Nily Rozic and state Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky, both Democrats from Queens, amid an uptick in antisemitism on college campuses in the aftermath of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.
“By placing Title VI coordinators on all college campuses, New York is combating antisemitism and all forms of discrimination head-on,” Hochul, a Democrat, told JI. “No one should fear for their safety while trying to get an education. It’s my top priority to ensure every New York student feels safe at school, and I will continue to take action against campus discrimination and use every tool at my disposal to eliminate hate and bias from our school communities.”
The legislation centralizes colleges’ enforcement of Title VI, which prohibits discrimination in federally funded programs based on race, color and national origin, by mandating a designated Title VI coordinator to address student complaints and directing the New York State Division of Human Rights to develop training to support such efforts.
It was backed by several Jewish groups including the Anti-Defamation League, UJA-Federation of New York and the American Jewish Committee.
Ted Deutch, chief executive of the AJC, called the legislation “a significant step in protecting Jewish students across the state.”
“This bipartisan legislation signed by Gov. Hochul will combat the alarming rise of antisemitism and ensure Jewish students’ concerns are heard and taken seriously,” he said in a statement. “By requiring every college and university in the state to have a properly trained Title VI Coordinator, this law is a meaningful tool to make our campuses places where students can learn without fear of discrimination.”
The bill comes as Democrats have faced criticism nationally from Republicans over their approach to countering antisemitism and supporting Israel amid its war in Gaza. It also comes as President Donald Trump has moved to dismantle the Department of Education — an effort that has raised questions among Jewish leaders over the government’s ability to investigate Title VI complaints and to hold schools accountable for incidents of antisemitism.
In anticipation of the bill and amid the Trump administration’s ongoing crackdown on campus antisemitism, some schools in the state, including Columbia University, New York University and the State University of New York system, have already announced commitments to hire designated Title VI coordinators.
Hochul, who is facing a potentially competitive reelection campaign as she seeks a second full term, has tackled the issue of rising campus antisemitism during her time in office, meeting with hundreds of college officials last year to address the matter, among other efforts.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), a Republican whose viral questioning of university leaders over their handling of campus antisemitism seized the national spotlight, is mulling a challenge to Hochul in next year’s election.
The congressman once again declined to endorse Zohran Mamdani in the NYC mayoral race but said he is ‘likely to win’
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) is seen in the U.S. Capitol on Friday, June 28, 2024.
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) said Wednesday that he’s unlikely to mount a primary challenge against New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, after months of circling a potential run for that office.
“I’m unlikely to run for governor. The assault that we’ve seen on the social safety in the Bronx is so unprecedented, so overwhelming that I’m going to keep my focus on Washington, D.C.,” Torres, a favorite of the Jewish community, said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “So, my heart lies in Washington, D.C. I feel like now, more than ever, we have to fight the catastrophe that is the Trump presidency.”
Hochul’s lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado, already declared his candidacy against the governor.
Torres also once again declined to endorse Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, but said Mamdani is “likely to win.”
“There’s a difference between praising the man in his policies and praising the manner in which he ran his campaign. I mean, when it comes to how he ran his campaign, he’s genuinely a singular figure,” Torres said. “We do have an obligation to learn from his race. And I suspect he won not because he ran on divisive issues like ‘globalize the intifada’ or ‘defund the police.’ He ran on affordability.”
Torres said he spoke to Mamdani on Sunday and that they have “profound differences of opinion, and I’m not going to downplay those differences, but I’m committed to a working relationship with him. I’m committed to continuing dialogue.” He said that the mayor and the city’s congressional delegation have a “mutually necessary relationship, so we will coexist.”
Rep. Ritchie Torres, their Democratic House colleague, called the lawmakers’ views ‘repulsive’ and ‘reprehensible’
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) attends the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday, March 29, 2023.
Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Cori Bush (D-MO) blamed U.S. military aid to Israel for contributing to the massive Hamas terror attack on Israel yesterday, which has left more than 700 Israelis dead. Tlaib also described Hamas’ actions as “resistance” to Israeli “apartheid.”
The comments come as most U.S. lawmakers have offered strong support to Israel in the conflict, without many of the typical calls for cease-fires and de-escalation by both sides in the hours following the onset of the attack. The exception to this has been members of the far-left Squad and a handful of other lawmakers aligned with them.
“I am determined as ever to fight for a just future where everyone can live in peace, without fear and with true freedom, equal rights, and human dignity,” Tlaib said in a statement on Sunday. “The path to that future must include lifting the blockade, ending the occupation and dismantling the apartheid system that creates the suffocating, dehumanizing conditions that can lead to resistance.”
Tlaib added that “as long as our country provides billions in unconditional funding to support the apartheid government, this heartbreaking cycle of violence will continue.”
Bush, in a similar statement on Saturday, said she was “heartbroken” by the violence and loss of life, “following attacks by Hamas militants on Israeli border towns and Israeli military bombardment of Gaza.”
“As part of achieving a just and lasting peace, we must do our part to stop this violence and trauma by ending U.S. government support for Israeli military occupation and apartheid,” Bush continued.
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) condemned the comments by his colleagues.
“U.S. aid to Israel is and should be unconditional, and never more so than in this moment of critical need,” Torres told Jewish Insider in a statement. “Shame on anyone who glorifies as ‘resistance’ the largest single-day mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust. It is reprehensible and repulsive.”
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) highlighted the barbarism committed by Hamas terrorists in his own response.
“Two of my colleagues called for America to end assistance to Israel, despite the countless images of Israeli children, women, men, and elderly, including Americans, murdered by radical Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists,” Gottheimer told JI. “It sickens me that while Israelis clean the blood of their family members shot in their homes, they believe Congress should strip U.S. funding to our democratic ally and allow innocent civilians to suffer.”
Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), who serves in the Michigan delegation with Tlaib, distanced herself from Tlaib’s comments in a statement to JI.
“We must continue to come together as a Congress and a country to disavow terrorism and support the Jewish state, our democratic ally, Israel,” Stevens said. “Israel has a right to exist and defend herself.”
None of the other Democratic members of Michigan’s House delegation responded to requests for comment.
Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog responded directly to Tlaib, in an impassioned statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“How much more blood needs to be spilled for you to overcome your prejudice and unequivocally condemn Hamas, a U.S.-designated terror organization?” Herzog wrote. “Hundreds of innocent Israeli civilians massacred in cold blood on a holy day. Babies kidnapped from their mother’s arms and taken to Gaza. An 85-year-old woman in a wheelchair and a Holocaust survivor taken hostage. Is that not enough, @RashidaTlaib?”
At the same time, a number of New York Democrats condemned a Democratic Socialists of America rally on Sunday in New York’s Times Square expressing “solidarity with the Palestinian people and their right to resist 75 years of occupation and apartheid.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called the rally “ill-timed” and “cold-hearted.”
“We’ve seen unprecedented viciousness coming from Hamas aimed at innocent families and children,” Schumer said. “Everyone — no matter your views — should condemn this brutal act.”
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) said, “The NYC-DSA is revealing itself for what it truly is — a deep rot of antisemitism.”
He added, “There is a special place in hell for those who glorify the cold blooded murder of civilians and children… The DSA should be universally condemned for its genocidal celebration of Israel’s destruction.”
Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) called the rally “an absolute disgrace” and “blatant antisemitism.”
“These actions are an insult to the memories of the innocent men, women, and children brutally murdered,” Ryan continued.
Through a spokesperson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) also condemned the rally.
“Leader Hakeem Jeffries strongly and unequivocally condemns the hate-filled rally held by the DSA in [NYC] and any effort to support the barbaric, inhumane and despicable terrorist attack by Hamas on the State of Israel and its citizens,” spokesperson Andy Eichar said.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the rally was “abhorrent and morally repugnant.”
Former Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-NY), who is currently running for a House seat in the New York City suburbs, said that “no one should support terrorist attacks against Israel” and that “today’s rally by the NYC DSA is despicable.” He added that “Hamas alone is responsible for this heinous violence.”
Brad Lander, the left-wing NYC comptroller who has in the past called for conditioning U.S. aid to Israel — and is affiliated with the DSA — disavowed the group’s rally.
“Today’s DSA rally — which effectively celebrated Hamas’ murder & kidnapping of hundreds of Israeli civilians, including children & grandparents — was abominable,” Lander said. “There is no place for glorifying terror, left, center, or right.”
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