Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio claimed that anti-Semitism is a product of a “right-wing movement,” as anti-Semitic hate crimes surge in the city.
“I think the ideological movement that is anti-Semitic is the right-wing movement,” de Blasio said at a press conference Tuesday, according to the New York Post. (RELATED: Trump Says New York City Hates Bill De Blasio)
Attacks on Jews have increased by roughly 90% in the past year, and the New York Police Department (NYPD) has arrested 75 people in connection with the crimes, according to the report.
De Blasio’s comments were consistent with his past statements on the rise of anti-Semitism in his city.
Mayor Bill De Blasio holds a Green New Deal rally At Trump Tower in New York City (Yana Paskova/Getty Images)
After a group of Hasidic Jews were attacked in Crown Heights, Brooklyn earlier this year, de Blasio blamed white supremacy, despite the fact that the alleged attackers were identified as black.
“It’s really clear that forces of white supremacy have been unleashed,” de Blasio said. “A lot of folks used to be told it was unacceptable to be anti-Semitic, it was unacceptable to be racist and now they’re getting more permission.”
“We’ve got make it very clear it’s unacceptable in our society. And the best way we do that here is by finding the perpetrators and prosecuting them and ensuring that they feel the consequences of their acts,” he continued. (RELATED: Bill De Blasio Draws Six-Person Crowd In New Hampshire)
Freshmen Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib have made several comments perceived by many as anti-Semitic and have both been outspoken in their support of the movement to Boycott, Divest, and Sanction the Jewish state of Israel.
De Blasio is running for president, but has not been able to make a dent in the polls, and his 2020 campaign has been widely criticized by many of his constituents. A Quinnipiac poll published last month showed that more than 3/4 of New Yorkers did not want de Blasio to run for president.