NEW YORK — The Republican Party in New York State launched an outreach campaign to Jewish New Yorkers on Wednesday, as hostility to Israel and its supporters in the Democratic party has unnerved many mainstream Jews.

The New York State Republican Party’s campaign told the Jewish community, “You have a home with us,” accusing Democrats of discriminating against Jewish New Yorkers.

“We watch with sadness as the Democratic Party, which alleges to stand for marginalized groups, spirals into that ugliest and oldest hatred, antisemitism,” the campaign said, alongside links to change party affiliation.

Jews in New York and in the US are largely Democrats, although Orthodox communities are more politically conservative.

But mainstream Jewish leaders in New York have clashed with Democratic party representatives, such as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who have increasingly embraced anti-Israel views that many Jews view as dangerous to the community.

The Republican campaign focused on a Mamdani speech last month that likened AIPAC to “monsters.” Hundreds of rabbis said the comments endorsed anti-Jewish tropes and were dangerous, but Mamdani has doubled down.

“Mamdani’s statement calling AIPAC and its members ‘monsters’ has no place in American political discourse. It is the worst kind of antisemitism,” Edward F. Cox, the chairman of the New York State Republican Party, said in an open letter to the Jewish community.

Cox’s letter linked other New York Democratic party leaders to Mamdani, including Governor Kathy Hochul, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Senate Majority Leader........

© The Times of Israel