Jewish New Yorkers rip Gov. Hochul for failing to help evacuate those stranded in Israel amid conflict with Iran
Frantic calls to Hochul's office this week went unanswered, according to those trying to get their relatives home.
'It wouldn't even occur to Hochul to help constituents stranded in a war zone,' fumed one Long Islander with a teen relative studying in Israel. 'She's doing nothing.'
Meanwhile, DeSantis contracted with the nonprofit Grey Bull Rescue to help about 1,500 Americans from multiple states get home.
4 Hochul was accused of 'deafening silence' on the issue of Americans who have been stranded in Israel.
Gabriella Bass
With Israel's airspace almost completely shut down, about 5,000 Americans have sought help, with the number of requests 'skyrocketing,' according to the rescue group.
Desperate, they're taking ships from Israel to Lanarca in Cyprus, or traveling by land to Amman, Jordan and flying to Cyprus in a bid to get to America — all with the help of DeSantis' operation, which arranged for four wide-bodied chartered planes to collect them.
So far DeSantis has welcomed two flights.
4 Gov. DeSantis had his state contract with a rescue group to help get Americans home.
Getty Images
'She should be doing what DeSantis did — partner with private contractors to get your citizens out,' the frantic relative, who did not want to be named for fear of retaliation, said of Hochul.
'She should have organized this already,' the relative added. 'There's no excuse to sit on her hands as she heads the state with the most Jews in the country.'
Erika Reichelscheimer said she felt 'completely abandoned' after calling the governor every day to no avail about her elderly parents, who were on a week's vacation in Israel when the conflict erupted June 13.
4 About 1,500 Americans have fled Israel thanks to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, he said.
Erez Uzir, courtesy of Birthright Israel
'We cannot even get a call back,' said Reichelscheimer. 'Disappointed is an understatement.'
'I haven't even seen Hochul say anything,' said Reichelscheimer, 34,
Her dad is running out of his heart medication. Meanwhile her brother, in Israel separately, was able to flee because of DeSantis' efforts, she said.
Asked what message she would give to Hochul, a distraught Reichelscheimer begged: 'Please use your vast resources and platform as the governor of New York to help your constituents that are literally in a life or death situation abroad. The silence from your office on this has been deafening.'
'DeSantis is doing what he is supposed to do,' said a Long Island couple whose 18-year-old is stranded and who also requested anonymity. 'We wish Hochul was doing the same.'
4 Elise Stefanik slammed Hochul as a 'disgrace' for failing to get New Yorkers home from Israel.
CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Rep. Elise Stefanik, who is believed to be challenging Hochul in the next election, slammed the governor.
'No answers from the Governor. No action. Not even the dignity of a call back. It's an utter disgrace. Kathy Hochul continues to prove she is the worst governor in America,' said Stefanik.
'Just last week, she proudly handed $50 million in New Yorkers' hard-earned taxpayer money to illegal migrants — and now, when actual New Yorkers are trapped in a war zone, she's doing absolutely nothing.'
'It's an absolute farce what's going on and Hochul should be ashamed of herself,' railed former veteran state assemblyman Dov Hikind, who said he's fielded countless phone calls from those looking for help.
Hochul is a 'steadfast ally to Israel and to New York's Jewish community,' her spokesman, Avi Small said, adding the administration is 'in active conversations with Governors from other states with large Jewish populations to determine how to coordinate travel for constituents if commercial flights do not resume.'
Roughly 1.4 million Jews live in New York state.
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