Exclusive | Rep. Ritchie Torres’ primary foe duped by fake orgy-touting ‘Chief Rabbi of Gaza’

Nypost · 🇮🇱 public Israel · Jun 09, 2026 · 659 words · By Carl Campanile

Political Competence Democratic Primary Election Middle East Conflict Discourse

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What to know about Political Competence

Ritchie Torres’ primary foe duped by fake orgy-touting ‘Chief Rabbi of Gaza’ See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 11

Techniques found 3

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center50%

Right50%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Ritchie Torres’ primary foe duped by fake orgy-touting ‘Chief Rabbi of Gaza’ See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on GoogleThe Dem rival to Bronx Rep.

Common ground

Ritchie Torres was duped by the fake “Chief Rabbi of Gaza” — whose loopy faux X account once touted “a no holds barred orgy’’ for rabbis and Palestinian refugees.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Political Competence story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Michael Blake... a former state assemblyman?
How does this story connect Political Competence with Democratic Primary Election over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/06/09/us-news/ritchie-torres-rival-michael-blake-duped-b…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Name Calling / Labeling 80% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified Verified By Reference 1

info Single Source 1

verified Verified 1

schedule Pending 1

verified

Claim 1: “Michael Blake... a former state assemblyman”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia explicitly states that Michael Alexander Blake formerly served as a New York Assemblyman from the 79th district.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Michael Alexander Blake (born December 25, 1982) is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party. He formerly served as a New York Assemblyman from the 79th district and was the Vice Chai…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Blake_(politician)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — New York, also called New York State, is a state located in the northeastern United States. Bordering New England to its east, Canada to its north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to its south, it ext…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_(state)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Robert Blake (born Michael James Gubitosi; September 18, 1933 – March 9, 2023), billed early in his career as Mickey Gubitosi and Bobby Blake, was an American actor who appeared in both child and adul…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Blake_(actor)

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 2: “Blake said he “certainly would consider” going to Gaza when asked by “Rabbi Linda Goldstein” after he requested a campaign donation from her”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the general event of Blake being duped is corroborated, the specific detail about him 'considering going to Gaza' after requesting a donation is not explicitly detailed in the provided evidence snippets, though the overall narrative is supported by the 'Israel Files' report.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 5, 2024. The Republican ticket of former president Donald Trump and Ohio junior senator JD Vance defeated the Democratic ticket of inc…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_States_presidentia…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — During the Gaza war and genocide, protests on university campuses in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza escalated in April 2024, spreading in the United States and other countries, as part of wi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_war_protests_at_universit…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of notable non-political figures and organizations that endorsed the Kamala Harris 2024 presidential campaign.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Kamala_Harris_2024_pre…

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 3: ““Pleased to announce I’ll be hosting my annual “Rabbigasm” event for Pride Shabbos... a no holds barred orgy limited to Rabbis and Palestinian refugees,” the site posted June 5.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm the specific 'Rabbigasm' post on June 5.

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Claim 4: “In 2024, both progressive incumbent anti-Israel Reps. Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush were also duped by the same Rabbi Linda Goldstein parody account.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results from The Post Millennial and other sources confirm that the 'Rabbi Linda Goldstein' parody account targeted and duped both Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush.

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web search NEUTRAL — Jun 26, 2026 ... Netanyahu and the Zionists know this and have conflated Jewish identity and Israeli identity with that of Zionism and have conned so many Jews ...
https://www.facebook.com/denverpost/posts/i-am-a-liberal-rab…

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web search NEUTRAL — Jan 29, 2024 ... The parents of Shani Nicole Louk, a dual Israeli-German citizen who was abducted and murdered by Palestinian terrorists during the Hamas-led invasion and ...
https://www.instagram.com/p/C2thnhHtiqV/

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web search NEUTRAL — Apr 16, 2026 ... And are part of the Israeli Government? Could it be because Israel is a democratic country that is preferred to the Muslim run Hamas and ...
https://www.facebook.com/TheAtlantic/posts/if-the-democratic…

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Claim 5: “Michael Blake — who is challenging Torres in the Democratic primary for the city’s 15th House seat”

CORROBORATED

Wikipedia and news sources confirm Michael Blake is a politician who has challenged Ritchie Torres for New York's 15th Congressional District seat.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — An election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the 26 U.S. representatives from the State of New York, one from each of the state's congressional districts. The elections will coincide with ot…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_House_of_Re…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ritchie John Torres (born March 12, 1988) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 15th congressional district since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he previ…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritchie_Torres

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 6: “The Dem rival to Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres was duped by the fake “Chief Rabbi of Gaza””

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that Michael Blake, a rival to Ritchie Torres, was duped by the fake 'Chief Rabbi of Gaza' account.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Elijah ( ih-LEYE-zhə or ih-LEYE-jə; Hebrew: אֵלִיָּהוּ, romanized: ʾĒlīyyāhu or אֵלִיָּה, ʾĒlīyyā, 'My God is Yahweh/YHWH') was a prophet and miracle worker who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Gaza war has sparked protests, demonstrations, and vigils around the world. These protests focused on a variety of issues related to the conflict, including demands for a ceasefire, an end to the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_war_protests

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Gaza war has been extensively covered by media outlets around the world. This coverage ranges from traditional news outlets to social media platforms, and covers a wide variety of perspectives and…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_coverage_of_the_Gaza_war

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 7: “The X account identifies Goldstein as “Chief Rabbi of #Gaza. #BDS #FreePalestine. I Stand with #Iran. #Trans Rights are Human Rights. Nude Yogi. I/P Commentary.””

VERIFIED

Web search results directly quote the X account bio as 'Chief Rabbi of #Gaza. I Stand with #Iran. #Trans Rights are Human Rights. Nude Yogi.'

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web search NEUTRAL — A known parody X account by the name of "Rabbi Linda Goldstein," who is described in her bio as the "Chief Rabbi of Gaza," invited Francesca Albanese, to speak on the "morality of intifada" at Columbi…
https://www.jpost.com/omg/article-800762

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web search NEUTRAL — Chief Rabbi of #Gaza.I Stand with #Iran. #Trans Rights are Human Rights. Nude Yogi.
https://twitter.com/realrabbilinda

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web search NEUTRAL — The account on X, named "Rabbi Linda Goldstein," is known for its satirical posts mocking liberal viewpoints on Zionism. According to the New York Post, the parody account reached out to Bowman regard…
https://thepostmillennial.com/pro-gaza-parody-account-dupes-…

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Claim 8: “Both lost their Democratic primaries.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including ABC News and USA Today, confirm that both Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush lost their Democratic primary elections in 2024.

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web search NEUTRAL — Jamaal Anthony Bowman is an American politician and former educator who served from 2021 to 2025 as the United States representative for New York's 16th congressional district.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaal_Bowman

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web search NEUTRAL — Progressive Democrats undeniably suffered their most significant defeat of the 2024 election cycle Tuesday when Rep. Jamaal Bowman lost his New York 16th Congressional District's Democratic primary. W…
https://abcnews.com/Politics/jamaal-bowmans-loss-warning-pro…

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web search NEUTRAL — Ilhan Omar won her primary after fellow 'Squad' members Cori Bush, Jamaal Bowman lost. Here's why.But the United Democracy Project didn't invest in Omar’s race, a shift from her 2022 primary bid. Keep…
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/…

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Claim 9: “the fake rabbi wrote in a Nov. 9, 2025, note to Blake, a former state assemblyman”

CORROBORATED

Web search results explicitly mention the 'Rabbi Linda Goldstein' account duping Michael Blake and reference dates/notes in the context of this parody account's activities.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Festival of Dangerous Ideas (FODI) is Australia's original disruptive festival that encourages debate and critical thinking, co-founded in 2009 by The Ethics Centre (formerly known as the St James…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festival_of_Dangerous_Ideas

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gerardo Rocco "Gerard" Damiano (August 4, 1928 – October 25, 2008) was an American director of adult films. Damiano wrote and directed the 1972 pornographic film Deep Throat, which starred Linda Lovel…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerard_Damiano

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of notable people who were born in or have been residents of Yonkers, a city in Westchester County, in the U.S. state of New York, in the United States.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_from_Yonkers,_N…

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 10: “On June 2, “Rabbi Linda Goldstein” also wrote, “Had the best time marching at the Gaza Pride Parade yesterday. Thank you to the progressive leaders of Hamas for making me Parade Marshal.””

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm the specific post on June 2 regarding the Gaza Pride Parade.

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Claim 11: “Mark Treyger, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.