Jewish Democratic candidates on Long Island say GOP campaign ads are antisemitic
NORTH HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- It's the height of the campaign season, and new lows are being reached by both parties, say some voters.
Several Long Island political candidates claim their opponents' ads are antisemitic, fueling stereotypes of Jewish people.
Israel Weisfelner, whose parents survived the Holocaust, says recent political ads remind him of Nazi-era stereotypes and propaganda.
"Sick to my stomach," Weisfelner said about his reaction to a mailing he received.
Two Jewish Democrats running for office in Nassau County are criticizing GOP mailings as antisemitic.
"Tell me that if you want to talk about taxes or spending, why is my nose enlargened? Why do I have elongated and yellow teeth? Why do I have horns, and why do I hold fistfuls of cash?" Nassau County Legislator Joshua Lafazan said.
The GOP campaigns say messages in the ads are simply that "Democrats are raising property taxes, raising sales taxes, taking money out of people's pockets ... The Republican Party has no knowledge of the religion that either of the candidates in question observe nor do we associate illustrations of greedy and corrupt politicians holding money with any ethnic group, race, or religion."
"When I received in my own mailbox a flyer depicting me in a way that we believe has antisemitic overtones, we are aware that danger is lurking," said Jon Kaiman, a candidate for North Hempstead town supervisor.
He said the ads are particularly offensive and divisive in the world climate today and across Long Island.
In Montauk, when swastikas were scrawled in the beach community, residents responded with a love rally.
"Bigotry, racism, prejudice, all of this is based on misinformation. It's all a caricature. What we can take from this? That we have a lot of work to do," said Rabbi Jaimee Shalhevet, of North Shore Synagogue.
"The future is the kids, the children, that's who we have to rely on," Weisfelner said.
The candidates are asking for a campaign ad apology and retraction. The GOP says their statement speaks for itself.