Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman urged Jewish New Yorkers to support him in the upcoming November elections. Blakeman posted a video on his X account giving a speech to the Jewish community in Forest Hills to mark the third anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attack in Israel. One of his priorities is stopping New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a vocal critic of Israel. Blakeman, who is facing off against Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, told the Bukharian Jewish Congress he was the only choice for governor who’d stand up to Mamdani and fight antisemitism. “There is only one person that can stop Zohran Mamdani, and that is the governor of the state of New York,” he said. “And this governor will not only not stop him, but she is encouraging him,” Blakeman said of Hochul. “She’s campaigning with him. She endorsed him.” “I’m here today as a father, a grandfather,” Blakeman added, wearing a kippah during his speech. “I am going to fight for my children and my grandchildren. I am going to fight for your children and your grandchildren. But I can’t do it alone… You need to get into this fight.” Blakeman also described the terrible acts committed against Israelis during the massacre, which killed more than 1,200 people, to explain why voters should support him. Jewish New Yorkers may have found an ally in Blakeman Blakeman campaigned with Bukharian Jews, who immigrated from Central Asian and former Soviet-bloc countries and are settling in Queens neighborhoods of Rego Park, Forest Hills, and Kew Gardens. Members of the Bukharian Jewish community largely supported ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mamdani’s closest rival in last year’s mayoral race. .@ZohranKMamdani used the anniversary of October 7 to attack Israel, and @KathyHochul continues to enable him. New Yorkers deserve leaders who will stand up against antisemitism, not excuse it. We must never forget the innocent lives lost on October 7. pic.twitter.com/1AbCpVWcjd— Bruce Blakeman (@NassauExec) October 8, 2026 He continued his criticism of Mandani, accusing him of making an antisemitic remark. “The antisemitism is out of control,” Blakeman said. “We have a mayor of New York City who put a statement just today, on Oct. 7, where he makes a moral equivalence between the attack on Oct. 7 and the Palestinian cause, whatever that cause may be.” Mamdani, who called Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “war criminal,” insists that despite opposing Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, he affirmed his support for Jewish residents and has zero tolerance for antisemitism. Meanwhile, Hochul is seeking her second full four-year term. She has been a staunch supporter of Israel – even visiting the country after the Hamas attacks. However, she has refrained from speaking against Mamdani, and she even publicly defended the mayor when Netanyahu accused him of inciting violence against Jewish New Yorkers.