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“Rep. Mike Lawler has been courting his district’s Orthodox Jewish community to support his reelection in 2024 — but just endorsed one of its biggest critics.”
Ahead of New York’s municipal elections, New York Playbook exposed Mike Lawler for recently endorsing a county legislator who has based his political career on verbally attacking Rockland County’s Orthodox Jewish community.
Jim Foley, the county legislator, based his political ascent on criticizing Rockland County’s Orthodox Jewish community, and has even said he would assault Orthodox Jews.
In his endorsement, Lawler referred to Foley as his “good friend” and called the antisemitic county legislator candidate a “trusted voice of change and hope for our country.”
DCCC Spokesperson Ellie Dougherty:
“Mike Lawler can’t claim to be an ally to the Jewish community when he supports antisemitism within his own party. Lawler owes New York’s 17th Congressional District an explanation for why he endorsed Jim Foley.”
New York Playbook: Stumbling ‘Block’
Jeff Coltin | November 6, 2023
KEY POINTS:
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Rep. Mike Lawler has been courting his district’s Orthodox Jewish community to support his reelection in 2024 — but just endorsed one of its biggest critics.
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James Foley is a Rockland County legislator running for reelection, after winning four years ago with signs attacking the “Ramapo Mafia” and pledging to “Block the Bloc,” a reference to anti-Hasidic Block the Block Vote Facebook group Foley used to run.
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Yossi Gestetner, an Orthodox Jewish political strategist from the district, said folks in the community were bothered by Lawler’s endorsement, thinking he should know better.
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But Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman, who’s Jewish, said in a statement to Playbook he’s “disgusted that Mike Lawler has endorsed a virulent antisemite,” so he’d like “an explanation for the endorsement, and I call on him to withdraw it.”
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