A Funny People

By: Larry Gordon

Who out there is going to argue that Zohran Mamdani and Kathy Hochul are the best leadership team New York has ever had?

Mamdani has made it clear that he maintains an absurd amount of disdain for Israel and the Jewish people. Hochul, if she wants to survive politically, has to go along with all of the mayor’s machinations.

Frankly, it seems the Jews of New York who supported these two see themselves as different from Jews all over the world, and certainly from the two million Jews who reside in New York.

This matter came to the fore earlier this week when thousands of girls were lined-up North Korean-style in tightly packed rows, chanting their support for the accidental governor—Ms. Hochul.

This ridiculous display took place in Kiryas Yoel in Monroe, New York, which has become a Satmar Chassidic city over the last few decades. In terms of economics, they are one of the poorest cities in the United States, with most of the residents depending on SNAP, Medicaid, Section 8 housing vouchers, and other programs to support their large families.

Certainly, the leadership of Satmar knows that Republican candidate, Bruce Blakeman, is not just Jewish, but a great and loyal supporter of Israel and Jewish causes. They also know that while Hochul has a slight lead in the often-deceptive polls, Blakeman is closing that gap as Election Day nears, with the real possibility of a victory in sight. A Blakeman victory is not just what New York needs, it’s what the country needs as well.

A Blakeman win in New York and a Mike Rogers win against Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan can seriously turn things around for President Trump and the overall direction of the country. Conservative victories in these and several other races can stop this downward trajectory that America is facing.

So, what is it about this tiny segment of our rather small Jewish community that makes them go against the grain and support candidates who side with critics of Israel and antisemites, yet reject good candidates like Bruce Blakeman, who clearly want the best for all our communities, including KJ and Williamsburg.

It’s a disturbing situation when some Satmar and other Chassidic groups can create this dichotomy between Jews.

With profound Jew-haters like AOC, El-Sayed, Mamdani, Hasan Piker, and others walking around saying they love and care for Jews but at the same time, would not object to seeing Israel pushed into the sea, we have to take them at their word. And so should these Chassidic leaders.

And that is a difficult, but important point to make. It’s a fundamental tenet of Jewish life that “kol Yisrael chaverim,” all Jews should care about and assume responsibility for each other. That does not mean that different types of Jews should only care about their own kind, but that maxim can create a great deal of confusion.

On the surface, it looks like we pretty much stick to our own kind unless, of course, there’s an emergency type of situation that cuts through all party lines.

Watching Mamdani being hosted in a sukkah in Williamsburg or watching the Chassidic political activist Yossi Gestetner presenting a birthday cake to NY Attorney General Tish James, as well as referring to her as “the rebbetzin” while a room full of Chassidic men sing “Happy Birthday” is the epitome of political grandstanding and political theater, and everyone who was present there knows that as well.

The Mayor and the AG have made it their life purpose to actively pursue landlords in New York City, many of whom are Chassidic. The Chassidim think that by hosting these comical events that Mamdani and James will look at them differently. The nicest thing you can say about both sides is that each side knows the other is engaging in a bit of horse trading, and that’s about it.

The businessmen/chassidim want government contracts and financial favors while the politicians just want contributions and votes.

But there’s much more at play here and essentially what’s happening is a tremendous Chillul Hashem—a desecration of G-d’s name. I know that the Neturei Karta represents a small fraction of mindless extremists whose goal is to embarrass all Jews and supporters of Israel.

One of the problems here is that the NK people look like all the other Chassidim and there’s no pressure on them to change anything, whether their manner of dress, philosophy, or political methods.

These are deeply ill people who march with pro-Hamas groups demonstrating against Israel. They are Mamdani supporters, against anything having to do with Zionism and the State of Israel and will seemingly align with those on that side of the aisle.

The worst thing New York Jews can do is deliver the governorship to Kathy Hochul. Hochul is Mamdani-lite, and Mamdani is Hochul in disguise. Then there are Jews aligned with Mamdani like former New York City comptroller Brad Lander. You can see quite clearly that when Mamdani is with Lander, that he knows he’s with a politician who’s a Jew.

Lander was detained by the Israeli military this week as he joined Palestinian farmers and some left-wing rabbis picking olives in Shomron fields that belong to Israel, but the Arabs refer to as “disputed territories” at best.

When Mamdani heard that his Jewish friend, Lander, and some fake left-wing rabbis were detained, he took to X (Twitter) and the Jew-hatred poured out of him like water from Niagara Falls, accusing Israel of genocide and demanding an end to the “Israeli occupation.”

One of the fascinating things here is the way Mayor Mamdani holds on to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch despite her being a member of the prominent Tisch family, and despite the immense pressure on Mamdani to fire her.

The critics of Tisch don’t want her fired because of any kind of ineptness or alleged failures. These socialist and progressive allies of the mayor want her gone because she’s Jewish and popular with the NYPD. For his part, Mamdani won’t dismiss Tisch because he doesn’t want to face any more accusations of antisemitism.

The mayor, at 34, has greater political aspirations than just mayor. If things go well for him, watch for his announcement that he’s running against Sen. Chuck Schumer in 2028. Previously, there was talk of AOC running against Schumer for the New York Senate seat. Since then, the talk has shifted to her running for President.

The wrong people getting into office on November 3rd can spell trouble for the U.S. We’re seeing the result of poor leadership in France happening in real time as many cities burn and shops are looted. Let’s take that as a warning.

There are many mysteries at play here in this election. One of those odd puzzles is why large segments of Jews who made America their home in the wake of the Holocaust would turn around and support politicians who claim to not be antisemitic, yet never denounce antisemitism in their ranks and denounce Israel in the vilest terms possible. Sure, it’s odd. It’s funny. It’s sad. It’s tragic. 

Read more of Larry Gordon’s articles at 5TJT.com. Follow 5 Towns Jewish Times on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updates and live videos. Comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome at 5TJT.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.