Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman has called for a Brooklyn theater to cancel an upcoming performance by Uzbek singer Yilduz Usmonova due to her reported anti-Israel and anti-Semitic comments.
Blakeman, who is running against incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul in November, expressed his outrage regarding Usmonova’s scheduled performance at Brighton Beach’s Oceana Theater on May 9.
“There’s no place for hate speech or hate songs here in Brooklyn, in New York state, or anywhere in America,” he stated during a press conference with local lawmakers outside the venue.
Blakeman, currently serving as Nassau County Executive, criticized Usmonova, saying, “This woman sings and performs, but she’s a despicable person. She’s a hateful person. She’s full of anti-Semitism. There’s no place for her to perform here in Brooklyn.”
Usmonova faced backlash in May 2021 for a social media rant where she denounced Israel and voiced support for Palestine.
In her remarks, she said, “Please let Israelis and other Jews know: We cannot leave Palestinians alone. With one call, we will all come to the aid of Palestine and fight alongside Palestine against Israel. Know this: everyone who opposes Muslims will be burned with fire. Know that we are united… O Jews, may God Almighty rain upon your heads all misfortunes!”
Following her comments, a planned performance in 2024 at the Oceana Theater was canceled amidst public outcry.
Recently, Usmonova attempted to retract her extreme views, stating, “I recognize that things have gone in a bad direction with respect to Jews and with Israel in general.” She referenced a passage from the Quran about the dangers of continuing to hate others.
Usmonova also admitted to feeling uneasy about her past statements, noting, “I feel anxious. That feeling is tormenting me right now.”
However, for Blakeman and the lawmakers who supported him at the press conference, Usmonova’s recent comments don’t negate the harm already caused.
“We stand here in Brighton Beach, in the heart of the world’s largest Jewish community, because something deeply alarming and wrong is about to happen, and it demands clear and immediate action,” said state Rep. Michael Novahoff (R-Brooklyn).
“This is about drawing the line,” he continued. “We will not allow our neighborhoods to become cesspools of anti-Semitism. We will not allow anti-Semitism to become normalized and we will not remain silent when our communities are targeted.”
Rep. Alec Brooke Krasny (R-Brooklyn), a Russian-Jewish immigrant, criticized Usmonova for not representing the views of the city’s Uzbek-American community adequately.
“Mr. Usmonova, please stick to entertaining people and stop attacking the Jewish American community while pretending to be a spokesperson for the Uzbek community,” Brooke Krasny remarked.
There has been no response from officials at Oceana Theater or from Usmonova regarding the controversy.
