New York Senator accused of making fun of man's 'stereotypical Jewish looks'

New York State Senator Julia Salazar (D) was accused of making fun of a man for having a "stereotypically Jewish look," the New York Post reported on Friday.

David Kelsey, a Jewish man who is accusing Salazar of antisemitism, made a comment pointing to Salazar’s focus on her tattoos over her voting record.

In response to the jab, Salazar reportedly tweeted an enlarged photo of Kelsey’s head with the caption “submitted without comment.” The tweet has since been deleted.

Kelsey responded by saying, “what can I say, Senator Salazar? My grandparents are actually Jewish. And this is how I look.” 

1. While you were celebrating our country's past elected heroes, NY State Senator Julia Salazar @JuliaCarmel__ @SalazarSena rebutted my critique of her policies and cultural appropriation by body shaming me. https://t.co/2pqBK2YJpP pic.twitter.com/CPIEhTF50a

— David Kelsey (@TheKvetcher) February 21, 2023

Kelsey’s Twitter handle, @TheKvetcher, is identifiably Jewish as ‘Kvetch’ is a Yiddish term meaning ‘to press’ or ‘to squeeze’, which has come to also mean ‘to complain.’

Kelsey told the New York Post, “I look stereotypically Jewish and she was just mocking that. Why blow my face up like that unless you’re making fun of my looks? Who cares what I look like?” he added.

Since making the tweet, Salazar has made numerous tweets allying herself with the Jewish community.  n 2018,  Salazar said she identified as Jewish in part because of her father’s Jewish roots; her brother said their father was not Jewish.

This Saturday night, we'll light havdalah candles for #HavdalahAgainstHate.Shabbat will end, but we are here & we're not going anywhere. Wherever you are, post a photo of your havdalah candle using this hashtag in celebration of our Jewish tradition, and in defiance of fascism. pic.twitter.com/GFZNdPFhp4

— Jews for Racial & Economic Justice (@JFREJNYC) February 23, 2023

Since the post was deleted, Salazar accused Kelsey of being “obsessed with her”, the Post reported.

Who is New York State Senator Julia Salazar?

Salazar has tweeted about her experience of being denied entry to Israel in 2014. 

I was deported by the IDF at the Jordanian border in 2014, when I was traveling to Palestine to stay with Palestinian friends. I would’ve been better off just going through Tel Aviv, as I previously had. People *should* visit Israel/Palestine and witness the occupation firsthand. pic.twitter.com/CWCku18pHn

— Julia Salazar (@JuliaCarmel__) August 14, 2020

In a 2019 tweet, she was denied entry for her "anti-occupation views."

I had traveled to Israel & Palestine multiple times previously, and returned in July of 2014 to visit friends in the West Bank and assist in a community development project there. I was detained for ~10 hours at Allenby. I was ultimately denied entry for my anti-occupation views.

— Julia Salazar (@JuliaCarmel__) August 17, 2019

In 2018, she accused Netanyahu’s spokesperson David Keyes of sexual assault. Keyes denied the allegation and released a statement stating “This false accusation is made by someone who has proven to be repeatedly dishonest about her own life. This is yet another example of her dishonesty.” Keyes later resigned when ten other women made similar accusations.

The dishonesty referenced by Keyes is an incident where Salazar alleged to be a migrant from Colombia, but was proven to have been born in Miami.

Ron Kampeas/JTA contributed to this report.