FILE - New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks at an event, Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, in New York. Gov. Hochul said she wants New York to impose term limits on her office and other statewide elected officials and ban them from earning an outside income, changes that implicitly rebuke her predecessor Andrew Cuomo, in a statement issued Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
FILE – New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks at an event, Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, in New York. Gov. Hochul said she wants New York to impose term limits on her office and other statewide elected officials and ban them from earning an outside income, changes that implicitly rebuke her predecessor Andrew Cuomo, in a statement issued Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

 

NEW YORK (Yaakov M / VINnews) — A Twitter showdown took place between several vocal members of the Charedi community.

The debate focused on whether frum Jews should be concerned about Governor Kathy Hochul, after her campaign stalled on repeated interview requests from the frum media, and ultimately failed to deliver.

Mishpacha editor Yochanon Donn rebuked the Hochul campaign for essentially ignoring the Charedi media. In response, Mordy Getz sharply rebuked Mr. Donn and his publication. He accused them of “shortsightedness” and said they “choose partisanship over truth”.

He also said Mr. Donn’s publication “incites the passions of impressionable and uneducated youth to further tweet in the same manner you do.”

And Mr. Getz claimed they “actively push away those who seek to be understanding of us while embracing people with views antagonistic to our minority community.”

Even Jake Turx got into the conversation, in defense of the Charedi media.

It all began last week when, after congratulating the Governor on her primary victory, Mr. Donn blasted her campaign.

He tweeted: “Very disturbing that her campaign promised interviews with at least 3 frum media – Mishpacha, Hamodia and Ami – and it never materialized. Aside for Cuomo, no other candidate has refused to talk to our community thru its media. Me, as well as journalists from the others, have sent repeated requests for a sit-down with the governor. They weren’t ignored, just slow-walked until it was too late. The fact Gov. Hochul won the overwhelming majority of the Orthodox vote makes it more urgent that we be heard.”

Mordy Getz, successful businessman and outspoken community member, responded to Mr. Donn, criticizing the Charedi media and defending the Hochul campaign.

In a series of tweets, Mr. Getz wrote: “Yoichy, I wish there was another way to share this but since you tweeted the below publicly, I feel like I must take a minute to explain the shortsightedness that you and your colleagues display, directly leading to these supposed acts of marginalization. You see, when time after time you go overboard in attacking @GovKathyHochul or other political officials for allegedly mistreating our community, you lose much of the good faith they naturally had by showing no good faith towards them.”

He continued: “When Congressman Marjorie Taylor Greene receives fawning interviews in the Ami, and @andrewcuomo , a longtime friend of the Jews is suddenly cast as an enemy, you not only lose any appearance of neutrality but also the support from others who may wish to be your allies.

“When @GovKathyHochul is attacked by you for appearing with Al Sharpton, but Donald Trump is treated as a savior despite meeting with our adversaries (not to mention dozens of friendly photos with the aforementioned Sharpton),you tell potential allies that you choose partisanship over truth. What do you expect in return?

“What do you think moderate and sensible democrats in New York like @GovKathyHochul and @ericadamsfornyc feel when people with a platform like you vilify them even as they speak out and act against antisemitism (which you did before)?

“Your publication and those like it incite the passions of impressionable and uneducated youth to further tweet in the same manner you do. You actively push away those who seek to be understanding of us while embracing people with views antagonistic to our minority community.

“Instead of wondering why the governor doesn’t want to be interviewed by those who employ you and by the magazine who feature MTG, Trump Jr. et al. as heroes and portray longtime friends as enemies, do some introspection into your culpability. It’s plain to see.”

Jake Turx, Ami’s White House correspondent, got in on the action as well, and appeared to defend MTG.

“Aside from the clown stuff and the occasional flashy prop, what’s so terrible about MTG?” Turx wrote.

Commentator Yossi Gestetner got involved as well. He replied to Mr. Getz: “Na I have no idea how an interview in @Ami_Magazine (that Mordy mentioned) has anything to do with @themishpacha or Hamodia. Secondly, most points made by @MordyGetz would be relevant if he addressed community leaders insulted for not getting a meeting; not reporters.

“They don’t need to be well-behaved on politics of the day to “earn” an interview with leading papers of a politically-active community. If @GovKathyHochul thinks that Haredim are not worthy voters, @YLefkowitz wouldn’t be hired. If we are, then our media deserve interviews.

As reported by Vos Iz Neias