"They will burn yeshivas and rape women": The secret recordings against Mamdani revealed

Secret recordings from a closed meeting in Brooklyn reveal Republican candidate for New York governor Bruce Blakeman warning of severe violence against Jews under Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The remarks drew criticism from Hasidic leaders supporting Governor Hochul, as Blakeman seeks to rally the Jewish vote in a tight race.

Secret recordings from a closed meeting held by Republican candidate for New York governor Bruce Blakeman with Hasidic leaders in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn were revealed by the New York Times. In the recordings, Blakeman is heard using harsh language against New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, warning of a scenario of violent riots: "If there are riots here, if they burn your yeshivas and synagogues, burn your homes and rape your wives, do you think Zohran Mamdani will stop them?" Blakeman, a kosher-observant Jew who serves as Nassau County Executive, added that incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul "doesn't have the backbone to do it," and compared the situation to the 1991 Crown Heights riots. The remarks drew sharp criticism from leaders in the Jewish community. Rabbi Moshe Indig, a leader of the Satmar Hasidic sect that supports Hochul, said it was an attempt at political intimidation and noted that crime is at a low. City Comptroller Mark Levine, who is Jewish, condemned the remarks, calling them irresponsible rhetoric. Blakeman did not deny the content of the recordings and responded that Mamdani refuses to condemn terrorist battle cries. Mamdani himself declined to comment.