Koch, Jewish pols labels Barron an enemy of Israel
Ed Koch Credit: Former Mayor Ed Koch denounces Charles Barron's run for congress. (David Greenfield's Office)
A group of Jewish elected officials denounced Councilman Charles Barron's run for Congress, calling him an "enemy of Israel," because of his criticism of the Jewish state.
"We have learned to live together in this city despite our different backgrounds, and his vile, vicious assailing of Israel is simply not acceptable," former Mayor Ed Koch said in a statement.
Koch was joined by Brooklyn Council members Brad Ladner and David Greenfield at the Museum of Jewish Heritage Monday. Barron, who is running against state Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries in the June 26 Democratic Primary for the 8th Congressional district covering parts of Brooklyn and Manhattan, called the news conference a cheap attack.
"I'm not going to let them distract me" from the concerns of people in my district, said Barron (D-East New York).
In previous interviews, Barron called Israel a "terrorist state" and called the government Nazis for their treatment of the Palestinians.
A spokeswoman for Jeffries declined to comment.
