A long-shot challenger seeking to unseat Rep. Ritchie Torres is drawing fire after releasing a campaign video alleging that “Zionists” have “bought and controlled” the Bronx Democrat.

Jose Vega, who is running as a Democrat/Independent in New York’s 15th Congressional District, made the comments in a video posted on X in which he claimed wealthy Zionist donors living in the Riverdale section of the Bronx are responsible for both Torres’ political positions and the borough’s persistent poverty.

“The Bronx is one of the poorest districts in America, but also has some of the richest Zionist millionaires in America, too. How is that?” asked Erik Warsaw, an independent journalist who appeared alongside Vega in the video.

“Because rich people like to live in areas where they can buy the politicians easily, like Ritchie Torres, who is bought and controlled by Zionist influencers and millionaires who all live in Riverdale,” Vega responded, naming a neighborhood with a large and historically significant Jewish population.

Torres quickly condemned the remarks, calling them a calculated political tactic rather than an accidental misstep.

“My opposition sees antisemitism not as a tragedy, but as a strategy,” Torres said in a statement. “No amount of defamation or disinformation will ever shame me out of representing every community in my district. We are One Bronx, and no amount of Jew-hatred will divide us.”

Deborah Lipstadt, the former U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, said the video reflects a broader shift in how antisemitic rhetoric is being used in political campaigns.

“Once, if someone said something antisemitic and it became public, they apologized. Sometimes profusely,” Lipstadt said. “More recently, they just shrug their shoulders and deny it is antisemitism. Now, as Ritchie Torres correctly notes, it’s become a strategy.”

Community leaders also criticized Vega’s decision to appear alongside Warsaw, who allegedly has ties to extremist or neo-Nazi circles.

“It takes a lot of chutzpah for someone who wants to represent significant Black and Jewish communities to link up with a neo-Nazi,” said Yaakov Kaplan, vice chair of Brooklyn Community Board 12.

Vega has pushed back on the accusations, insisting that he was highlighting economic inequality, not targeting Jews.

“Because I did, people try to say I’m antisemitic,” Vega wrote. “You know why? Because they want to keep the conversation away from the ugly fact that Ritchie Torres was made the congressman to keep the War Party in place, and the Bronx poor.”

Vega also framed his campaign as part of a broader opposition to U.S. foreign policy, saying he is running against what he called the “War Party,” including U.S. actions involving Venezuela, Iran, and the war in Gaza.

Torres, one of the House’s most outspoken Democratic supporters of Israel, has increasingly become a lightning rod on the left, even as he has built a national profile as a rising star in the party. He represents one of the poorest districts in the country, while also maintaining strong ties to pro-Israel donors and advocacy groups, a dynamic that has made him a frequent target of progressive challengers.

But Jewish leaders and civil rights advocates say Vega’s rhetoric goes beyond policy disagreements and risks fueling antisemitic tropes about Jewish wealth and political control.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)