Former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin on Tuesday warned that Jewish Americans are "not safe under Democrat rule," knocking Vice President Kamala Harris for her failure to curb the rising anti-Semitism within the Democratic Party.
"Every action she has taken since becoming the presumptive Democrat nominee has sent a chilling reminder to Jewish voters across the country that we are not safe under Democrat rule," Zeldin, a Jewish Republican, wrote in a scathing op-ed published in Newsweek.
Zeldin's warning comes after months of pro-Hamas rallies roiling college campuses and as thousands of anti-Israel protesters and delegates infiltrate the Democratic National Convention this week, pressuring Harris to heed their demands for an arms embargo on Israel or lose the election in November. The activists—including Layla Elabed, sister of Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.)—issued the threat to Harris at an official DNC panel on Monday, while their allies marched through the streets of Chicago and clashed with local police, demanding that the Democratic nominee turn on the Jewish state.
"As Jewish Americans face increasing threats both at home and abroad, it's clear that the current administration is unwilling or unable to provide the protection we need," Zeldin said, criticizing Harris for failing to deter and "pandering" to the anti-Semites among her party.
Last month, the vice president snubbed Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's congressional address—attending a sorority event instead—and took "24 hours of stalling," according to Zeldin, before acknowledging the anti-Israel protesters who destroyed public property on the streets of Washington, D.C., during Netanyahu's visit. Harris has also publicly voiced her support for a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that ignores most of Israel’s demands.
"Through silence at times and blatant pandering at others, Kamala Harris is choosing to be led by these people," Zeldin added.
Zeldin also slammed Harris for picking as her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a far-left politician whose record "aligns disturbingly well with this anti-Semitic faction." Walz has praised the work of "Squad" member Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.), a longtime detractor of Israel, and Imam Asad Zaman, a Muslim cleric who refused to condemn Hamas’s October 7 attack and promoted Adolf Hitler’s ideology.
"This November, we must vote to restore safety, strengthen the U.S.-Israel alliance, and put America first by electing leaders who truly stand with us, like Donald Trump and J.D. Vance," Zeldin wrote in the Tuesday op-ed. "Harris has shown that she does not have the courage and ability to lead effectively in this critical moment."