Blakeman Defends Camp-Guard Slur Against Lander as New York Democrats Demand Apology
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 26
Blakeman Defends Camp-Guard Slur Against Lander as New York Democrats Demand Apology
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 26
Summary
Bruce Blakeman, the Republican nominee for New York governor, drew fresh backlash after saying Jewish Democratic congressional nominee Brad Lander "would be a camp guard in the concentration camp" over Lander's criticism of Israel.
Thursday's fallout intensified when Blakeman partly walked back the wording but not the attack, saying "maybe camp guard was too strong, but certainly collaborator."
Kathy Hochul urged an apology, while outgoing Rep. Jerry Nadler called the remark a grotesque desecration of the memory of 6 million Jews; J Street also condemned it as corrosive and wrong.
Lander, who won Tuesday's Democratic primary in New York's 10th District, said backing Palestinian human rights and ending U.S. aid to Israel does not make him less Jewish or less committed to fighting antisemitism.