Blakeman Criticizes Mayor Mamdani over Anti-Semitism Rally

Republican candidate Bruce Blakeman didn’t hold back when discussing Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s leadership after a recent rally in Queens focused on combating anti-Semitism, which attracted around 150 attendees.

Blakeman remarked that one of Mamdani’s initial actions as mayor was altering the definition of anti-Semitism. “Isn’t it concerning? I mean, shouldn’t addressing real issues be a priority?” he questioned, referring to ongoing tensions in New York, including the disruptive protests outside the Park East Synagogue just last week.

Blakeman expressed strong disapproval, stating, “He has a dark heart. He is un-American and anti-Semitic. He needs to change, or there will be unrest in this city, because it’s filled with good people.”

He emphasized the city’s diversity, noting that it comprises individuals from various races, religions, and lifestyles. “Everyone deserves to live together peacefully. A mayor should unite, not divide,” he asserted.

The rally took place on a Sunday morning at Yellowstone Park in Forest Hills. It aimed to address what a press release described as a “stunning” increase in hate crimes throughout the borough.

Adding another layer to the discourse, comedian Zach Sage Fox, representing Blakeman, criticized Mamdani’s wife, Rama Douwaj. He referred to her controversial social media activity from March, including a like on a post that celebrated Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel.

“I’d prefer honesty. At least his wife’s actions show where she stands. Her silence is complicity,” Sage Fox stated, drawing a comparison between her and her husband’s approach.

He complicity remarked, “This is a multi-faceted issue. We won’t accept this any longer. The person leading this city isn’t owning up to the anti-Semitism that has grown due to his political actions. The truth is he represents two conflicting views.”