ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Leaders of the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester will speak on Thursday afternoon after some Monroe County legislators got antisemitic mail.

Majority Leader Michael Yudelson says he and other legislators got a letter filled with antisemitic tropes. The unsigned letter states that the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas was “well-earned” and demands that the Israeli flag no longer be displayed outside the county office building.

“It was very important for us to speak up about this. Each and every time there’s this kind of antisemitic behavior it needs to be called out,” Yudelson said.

Jewish Federation leaders will speak at 2 p.m. to address the rising antisemitism in the Rochester area.

The letter had the logos of the Green Party of Monroe County and the Party for Socialism and Liberation Finger Lakes. The Green Party denounced the letter in a statement on Thursday morning:

“Both the cartoon and letter were created by an individual who at the time was registered as a Green, but had no authority to represent the party. He had incorporated graphics on homemade stationary that implied that his message was sponsored by both the Green Party as well as the local chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL).  Neither group had knowledge of the individual’s intentions beforehand nor does either group approve of his message.”

The statement continues: “While the Green Party of Monroe County condemns this individual’s actions, we will continue to fight for an end to genocide and an end to the occupation in Palestine.”

Monroe County Executive Adam Bello says he refuses to be intimidated and will continue to fly the flag of Israel outside the county office building.