Democrats on Long Island condemn ads they say are antisemitic, Republicans deny bias claims
PLAINVIEW, Nassau County (WABC) -- A pair of Jewish politicians on Long Island condemned political advertisements that they say are antisemitic. Meanwhile, Republicans are denying any bias.
Nassau County Legislator Josh Lafazan and former Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman condemned the ads during a news briefing Tuesday outside the Mid-Island Y Jewish Community Center in Plainview.
Lafazan said the imagery is an attack on his religion and the entire Jewish community, comparing it to a propaganda flyer used just before the Holocaust.
"The widening of the nose, the yellowing of the teeth, the horns. This type of deforming of my face has been used on mailer after mailer, on advertisement after advertisement. This is not a one-off," Lafazan said.
Lafazan called on the Republican party to stop the use of such images in their political attack ads.
"I am unapologetic when I say to my opponent and to the Nassau Republican Party, shame on you and apologize now and let us know this will never happen again," Lafazan said.
The Nassau County Republican Party said the use of offensive images in political ads have been used before -- by the Democrats.
They point to an image posted on the town of Oyster Bay Democrat Committee's Facebook page showing a pig with a swastika on its rear as an emblem of the Republican party.
They also said they've been using the image Lafazan claims is antisemitic for five months and questioned why he's only now speaking out against it, days before the November 7 election.
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