Statement on the Spread of Antisemitic Lies in the Race for New York City Council District 39
BROOKLYN, NY — Maya Kornberg, Democratic candidate for New York City Council, released the following statement on the spread of antisemitic misinformation in the race for District 39:
“For far too long, Jewish candidates have been attacked with the antisemitic tropes of dual loyalty and being beholden to money. This irresponsible and antisemitic misinformation is unfortunately being proliferated here in District 39. Lies that my campaign is being funded by AIPAC, an organization focused on foreign policy, call up both of these antisemitic tropes and amounts to nothing more than a smear campaign.
I am a proud Jewish woman and fighting antisemitism and racist hate will continue to be my priority. I have not received nor will I receive support from AIPAC, a group that doesn’t even get involved in city council races. And like many progressive Jews here in District 39, I disagree with some of AIPAC’s stances. This campaign is, and has always been, focused on the local issues that affect our communities and unite us as Democrats: affordability, healthcare, education, and equality.
I’ve spent years working to combat misinformation in politics and I think we’ve certainly all seen enough of it over the past year. And despite these lies being spewed about my campaign and about me, I will continue to run a positive campaign focused on the local issues that affect District 39 residents every day.”
Maya Kornberg is a new mom, advocate, author, educator, and Senior Research Fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice. She is running for New York City Council District 39 to bring a results-driven progressive approach to City Hall. Maya will fight to protect our democracy, increase childcare access, tackle the housing affordability crisis, improve our schools, build green infrastructure, and create safer streets through accountable policing. Maya has dedicated her career to making democracy work better for the people it's meant to serve, including combating political violence and creating more responsive government processes. Her work has been featured in the Washington Post, Newsweek, the Hill, and NPR. Maya has taught graduate and undergraduate political courses at NYU, Georgetown, Oxford, and American University. Maya and her spouse rent an apartment in Park Slope where they are raising their newborn son.
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