Bruce Blakeman, the Republican candidate for New York governor, attended a Jerusalem Real Estate Expo in midtown Manhattan to demonstrate support for Israel and investment. He was accompanied by New Yorkers and responded to concerns about them leaving for Israel with a remark about having two places to live. The day-long event included representatives from many Israeli real estate companies distributing information about properties for sale. Some properties were located in Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, which many countries consider illegal. Protesters gathered in the evening, targeting prior events that included properties in West Bank settlements. Blakeman trailed Gov. Kathy Hochul in recent polling and positioned himself to the right of her on Israel-related issues. Hochul supported statewide buffer zone legislation after protests outside synagogue events, and the bill passed this week.
"Bruce Blakeman, who has been endorsed by US President Donald Trump, was among the hundreds of people at the day-long event. In the evening, as has become routine at similar events in the five boroughs, scores of protesters gathered. Previous Israel real estate events have included a small number of properties in West Bank settlements, which the protesters say they are targeting."
"Asked if he was worried that the New Yorkers who accompanied him at the Jerusalem Real Estate Expo were fixing to leave for Israel, Blakeman answered cheekily: "Not when I'm governor." He added, "They'll have two places. They'll want to live in both.""
"Throughout the day, representatives from dozens of Israeli real estate companies handed out pamphlets and shared information about properties for sale. Some of the properties being shown were in Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, which many countries consider illegal."
"Hochul pushed statewide "buffer zone" legislation in response to protests outside synagogues that were hosting similar events and said during her State of the State address in January that "targeting a Jewish community in this way is antisemitism." The statewide buffer zone bill passed this week."
#israeli-real-estate #new-york-politics #protests-and-antisemitism #west-bank-settlements #east-jerusalem
Read at Timesofisrael
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