The head of the local Republican Party in Rockland County, N.Y. said that their video warning of a Chasidic “takeover” in the county will eventually be back.
The video, titled “A Storm Is Coming”, accuses Rockland County legislator Aron Wieder, a Chasidic Jew, and the “Ramapo Machine” – referencing the town of Ramapo, which has a large population Chasidic and Charedi Jews – of “overdevelopment” in Rockland County. The video claims that Wieder is attempting to sell land to 75 Yeshiva camps and that he and the “Ramapo Machine” of attempting to redistrict the county to increase their “power to take over Rockland.”
Rockland County GOP Chair Lawrence Garvey told the New York Post that they had taken down the video from their site on Aug. 29, but said this was because it “accomplished its goal of highlighting the issues that face our county. And second, [we] took it down because the controversy stopped adding to number one above.”
Garvey then said that “the video will be back, because this conversation is important to Rockland.”
New York City Councilman Kalman Yeger tweeted, “This is not a partisan issue. The @NewYorkGOP Chair can and must take action against the Rockland County Chair’s antisemitic divide-and-conquer campaign.”
This is not a partisan issue. The @NewYorkGOP Chair can and must take action against the Rockland County Chair's antisemitic divide-and-conquer campaign.
Rockland County GOP leader vows to re-air 'anti-Semitic' attack ad https://t.co/On24qJgRB4 via @nypmetro
— Kalman Yeger (@KalmanYeger) September 5, 2019
Former Democratic New York Assemblyman Dov Hikind tweeted, “Anti-Semitism in broad daylight, why?! Because there are no consequences for these haters. If the @GOP is ok with local representatives tarnishing their party with such anti-Semitism they will pay for it at the ballot-box nationwide.”
Antisemitism in broad daylight, why?! Because there are no consequences for these haters. If the @GOP is ok with local representatives tarnishing their party with such antisemitism they will pay for it at the ballot-box nationwide. Garvey & Santulli must go!
Cc @NickLangworthy https://t.co/YFWgRIEVsC
— Dov Hikind (@HikindDov) September 5, 2019
The Republican Jewish Coalition and Anti-Defamation League New York and New Jersey have previously condemned the video as anti-Semitic.
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