Mission Viejo, CA – A Republican candidate for the House of Representatives from California went on a shocking diatribe against Jews last week, accusing the “Israeli PAC” of having “control of a lot of these politicians.”
“I will work with the leaders of both the Israeli … and they’re strong. That’s the problem you just mentioned,” Greg Raths said during a candidate forum May 20. “Israeli PAC in Washington, they got money and they control a lot of these politicians.”
Raths, the former mayor of Mission Viejo, went on to claim that Palestinian leaders “don’t have the clout.”
“So the money goes – these politicians go where the money is, unfortunately,” Raths continued.
He later doubled down on his stance, saying, “The Jewish community is very well organized in the United States and they control a lot of politicians. That’s why the foreign aid is so large going to Israel.”
“The Jewish community has never given me one, one dime, so I’m not beholden to them at all,” Raths added.
Despite Raths’ remarks, the Republican candidate states that “I’ll support Israel” in a section of his website dealing with national security issues
Sam Markstein, the national political director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, blasted Raths’ comments as “blatantly anti-Semitic,” while comparing them to similar comments made by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.)
“Both Mr. Raths and Ilhan Omar now share the distinct dishonor of suggesting that Jewish Americans buy political influence, a well-known, age-old anti-Semitic stereotype,” he told the Washington Free Beacon. “It is disgusting, appalling, and has absolutely no place in the GOP.”
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the group to which Raths appeared to be referring, told The Post, “We are proud that we are engaged in the democratic process to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship, and our bipartisan efforts reflect American values and interests. These anti-Semitic and un-American comments by Greg Raths should be widely condemned.”
Raths, a retired US Marine, is seeking to unseat Republican incumbent Rep. Young Kim in California’s June 7 nonpartisan primary.
The top two finishers, regardless of party, will advance to the general election ballot in November.
Reached for comment, Raths seemed to dig himself in deeper even as he claimed the remarks were not anti-Semitic, telling The Post: “God no, hell no, my brother is Jewish.”
“I’m totally not anti-Semitic.”
He went on to say, “If I said that, I didn’t mean control as in ‘do as I say because we give you all this money,’” he said.
“No they don’t control, maybe some do. That wasn’t what I was trying to say.”
