- Mazi Melesa Pilip is the GOP candidate in the special election to replace George Santos.
- She recently suggested some Muslims "won't like" her campaign because she's Israeli.
Mazi Melesa Pilip, the GOP's chosen replacement for the recently expelled George Santos, suggested that some Muslims will oppose her candidacy due to her prior service in the Israeli Defense Forces.
The Nassau County legislator made those comments during an interview with Israel Hayom, a right-wing Israeli news outlet, published on Thursday.
"I know there will be a handful of Muslims who won't like seeing a former Israeli soldier running for Congress, it will deter them," Pilip told the outlet. "The progressive Democrats will also not like it, and they have great influence and know how to make noise but I know the vast majority will be with me, because the US is a friend of Israel, and the American people are with us."
Business Insider reached out to Pilip's campaign seeking clarification of her comments but has not yet received a response.
Pilip has said that she served in the IDF's Paratroopers Brigade, describing herself as a "paratrooper" despite serving as a gunsmith rather than a parachutist. She told Newsday that all members of the paratrooper unit identify as "paratroopers."
Her candidacy is taking place against the backdrop of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, spurred by the October 7 Hamas terror attack. More than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed since then, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
A county-level legislator for less than two years, Pilip's candidacy poses both opportunities and challenges for the GOP in the Long Island district once occupied by George Santos.
She's an Ethiopian-born Jewish woman with 7 children, a profile unlike the typical Republican politician and one that may resonate with a broader swath of the electorate.
But she's also a relatively inexperienced politician and has struggled to articulate clear positions on key issues since her selection by local party leaders last week.
On abortion, she has simply said that she won't support "the national abortion ban" without clarifying whether she supports any restrictions at the state or federal level.
And she has declined to offer her views on Donald Trump, the former president and likely 2024 GOP nominee, simply saying she will support the party's nominee.
"Why will I answer something like this?" she told Newsday when asked about Trump. "It's a personal question."
Pilip is set to face former Rep. Tom Suozzi, a relatively moderate Democrat, in the February 13 special election.