Dr. Mehmet Oz is stumping for the Jewish vote in Philadelphia as he looks to become the first-ever Muslim elected to the Senate.
The Republican nominee for the Senate seat from Pennsylvania appeared at a gathering hosted by the Republican Jewish Coalition in Philadelphia on Wednesday night, according to The Times of Israel.
About 300 people welcomed him. Some held signs reading: "Jews for Oz," "Pro-Israel, Pro-Oz," and "Oz" in English and Hebrew.
"There's no more important race in this country for us than right here in Pennsylvania," said RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks at the start of the event, which also featured David Friedman, the former ambassador to Israel.
Friedman said he was "intrigued by the idea of a pro-Israel Muslim, a very pro-Israel Muslim."
And Brooks said that "a Muslim, a Republican is going to be more pro-Israel than his Democrat opponent … John Fetterman."
Oz made a point to say he identified as a "secular Muslim" and noted "in Turkish and Islamic culture, there's strong respect of Judeo-Christian values."
"I'm proud as a secular Muslim to stand tall and say together with many others who are Christian and Jewish — and other Muslims as well — to say that Israel is a force for good that brings light into the world," he said.
He ripped his Democrat opponent Lt. Gov. Fetterman as being part of the "radical far left." He accused Fetterman with being out of touch with most Pennsylvanians.
"John Fetterman is on the opposite side of just about every major issue from me, and that includes the future of Israel," Oz said.
"He's OK with the United States putting pressure on Israel to manage their internal affairs differently, in particular with how they manage the Palestinian population within Israel. I believe people should have the autonomy to make important decisions in their lives, like they do with their own personal health."
Meanwhile, a significant number of voters in western Pennsylvania are switching from Democrat to Republican ahead of the 2022 midterms, but questions remain on whether the moves will translate into victory for the GOP in the Keystone State.
From Jan. 1 to July 25, more than 8,100 Democrats changed their voter registration to Republican in Allegheny County and the adjacent Armstrong, Butler, Beaver, Washington and Westmoreland counties, according to Pennsylvania Department of State data, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
Less than a third of that number, 2,500, changed in the opposite direction. Republicans have also been able to persuade independents and third-party registrants to switch, the paper reported.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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