BY KYLIE VOLAVONGSA
FOREST HILLS — Behind a podium draped with an American flag, in front of several more American flags, two prominent members of Queens’ Jewish community announced their departures from the Democratic Party.
They would be Rabbi Nahum Kaziev of Druzhba Magazine and Druzhba TV, along with Rafael Nektalov, editor of The Bukharian Times, a Queens-based, Russian-language newspaper widely circulated among Queens’ Bukharian Jewish diaspora.
According to a press release, both spoke as representatives of the community.
“In my view, the party has moved increasingly toward a far-left progressive and ‘woke’ agenda while embracing positions that are hostile to Israel, hostile to the Jewish community and increasingly tolerant of anti-Semitism,” Kaziev said.
Previously, Kaziev added, he was a registered and active Democrat for at least 30 years. Still, the two hoped the move would prompt their combined readers and viewers (over 200,000, Kaziev claimed at the conference) to follow.
One passerby, David Abraham, briefly joined to show his support.
“Socialism is not flowers and candy and everything like that,” Abraham said. “It’s a prison.”
Video of the announcement was also recorded for streaming. Still, the gathering was somewhat sparse — a handful of community members lined up behind the podium, with their cameramen and The Forest Hills Times as observers in the crowd.
