He’s Puerto Rican, culturally Christian, a member of the Progressive Caucus, and — until this term — barely had a Jewish constituency to speak of.

But Rep. Ritchie Torres can say it: “There are few people in American politics who have been as visibly and vocally supportive of Israel as I’ve been.”

Dozens of progressive activists protested outside Torres’ district office for a “Bronx Solidarity with Palestine” rally Tuesday, accusing him of focusing too much on Israel — and not on his district, the poorest in the country.

Torres has promulgated “hate-rhetoric” against constituents critical of Israel, a spokesperson for Bronx Anti-War Coalition wrote to Playbook. He has “long chosen to be a notably visible spokesperson for defending Israeli ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people.”

Hundreds of Torres’ Jewish constituents — many of them students from the Modern Orthodox SAR Academy and asked to come after school — attended a counter-rally on the other side of the district in Riverdale at the same time, praising Torres for his support.

“We have to stand with our Congressman Ritchie Torres as he fights for us and fights for Israel and fights against antisemitism,” state Assemblymember Jeff Dinowitz, who is Jewish, said at the rally.

Torres was in Washington, but he told Playbook in an interview that it was a 2014 City Council trip to Israel with the Jewish Community Relations Council that jump-started his advocacy.

“It was the first time I had an opportunity to travel abroad. And my experience in Israel was love at first sight. It was one of the most formative and transformative experiences of my life,” he said, citing visits to the Holocaust memorial, a kibbutz and a town near Gaza.

“I am a Zionist, but I’m culturally Christian and intend to remain culturally Christian for the foreseeable future. I have no intention of converting to a faith,” he said. His belief in Israel as a Jewish state isn’t based on religion, but history, “a long and ugly history of antisemitism,” he explained.

Why does he seem to find glee in pushing back against his critics? “I’m a fighter from the Bronx. I’m pugnacious,” he said. “And I will fight for what I believe in, I will fight for what I think is right.”

And those who say he’s obsessed? “Anyone who is mistaking Twitter for the real world is living in an echo chamber,” he said. And he’s ubiquitous on News 12 The Bronx and in the Bronx Times, talking local issues. On Oct. 7, the day Hamas attacked Israel, he recalled, “I was in Puerto Rico. And I was not on vacation, I was receiving a briefing about the state of the energy grid.”

Torres believes in a two-state solution, but rejects a ceasefire. “Israel has every right to do to Hamas what the United States did to ISIS and Al Qaeda,” he said. — Jeff Coltin

IT’S FRIDAY. Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.

WHERE’S KATHY? In Florida with no public schedule.

WHERE’S ERIC? Signing a memorandum of understanding with the CEO of LG CNS and the head of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, going to a flag-raising ceremony for Türkiye and speaking at the AR Helping Hands - Diwali at Times Square awards gala.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Sad!” — Gov. Kathy Hochul responding on X to a report that former President Donald Trump wants her to intervene in his civil trial brought by Attorney General Tish James.

EARLY VOTING BEGINS: Labor unions are spending big on the most competitive New York City Council races as early voting begins Saturday.

The Labor Strong 2023 coalition so far this month has sunk nearly $85,000 in independent expenditures into mailers and Internet ads for Democrats Marjorie Velázquez in the Bronx, Sandra Ung in Queens and Susan Zhuang in Brooklyn.

Velázquez faces Republican Kristy Marmorato. Ung faces Republican Yu-Ching James Pai. And third-party candidate Jin Liang Chen and Zhuang face Republican Ying Tan and Conservative Vito LaBella.

Carpenters for Progress, one of the most visible unions on the campaign trail, has also spent nearly $85,000 in independent expenditures so far this month for Ung, for Velázquez and against Marmorato.

“Not only are we willing to go negative, we enjoy it,” Kevin Elkins, political director for the Carpenters union, told Playbook.

The union is expected to be on stump this weekend in their tell-tale orange shirts, including for Democrat Justin Brannan, whose faceoff in southern Brooklyn against Republican Ari Kagan is the marquee general election council race.

“Labor’s going hard for him,” Elkins said of Brannan. “So, if it’s a day ending in ‘y,’ there are boots on the ground.”

Election Day is Nov. 7. — Emily Ngo

NO BEEF WITH THE GOP: Mayor Eric Adams cut the ribbon on a new outpost of Republicans’ favorite steakhouse Wednesday. Empire Steak House is where his GOP opponent Curtis Sliwa hosted both his primary and general election parties, and where Sliwa hosted a disco-themed mask burning event setting fire to Covid-19 masks. Empire also hosted a Manhattan GOP talk by Trump adviser Steve Bannon.

The owners are Adams fans, though, with two giving the mayor’s campaign $1,000 each earlier this year, City & State reported.

City Hall said the mayor attended to celebrate a thriving New York City business. Sliwa said to Playbook that, “We’re in the middle of a crisis, and he’s cutting ribbons like a borough president.” — Jeff Coltin

INNA HURRY VERNIKOV? Council member Inna Vernikov won’t be taking questions — even at her own event.

After promoting an event in support of the Jewish students at Cooper Union who were intimidated by a mob of pro-Palestinian protesters, Vernikov hurried away from reporters after speaking for just few minutes at the rally.

The council member made a beeline for a black tinted-window sedan, dodging questions from POLITICO and FOX5 about her work to protect Jewish students.

Her appearance comes two weeks after she was charged with felony gun possession for appearing at a pro-Palestinian rally with a pistol tucked in her waistband.

When not sipping tea with the mayor’s top aide and tweeting in support of Israel, the council member has been noticeably reticent to make public appearances that could expose her to questions from reporters.

Last week, she was one of City & State’s “NYC Forty Under 40” awardees, but was absent from the event. — Jason Beeferman

ADAMS’S GOT POWERS: The mayor is endorsing City Council Majority Leader Keith Powers for reelection.

The Democrat isn’t in any danger in a deep blue midtown Manhattan district against Republican Brian Robinson, but Powers has been rallying support with endorsements from Gov. Kathy Hochul and Sen. Chuck Schumer.

“Keith is focused on what New Yorkers need to thrive: public safety, new housing and economic growth. He is a leader in our city on our priorities — including work we’re doing together to bring a life sciences center to Kips Bay and housing to Midtown, while fighting for common sense gun laws — and that is why I am supporting him for reelection,” Adams said in a statement shared exclusively with Playbook.

Things have been tense between the mayor and the council, but this is the second public endorsement of a member of the council’s leadership team in as many days, after endorsing Finance Chair Justin Brannan Thursday. — Jeff Coltin

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: The good government group Citizens Union is endorsing four Democratic City Council candidates in contested races: Susan Zhuang and incumbents Linda Lee, Sandy Nurse and Justin Brannan.

SPREADING LOVE: Brooklyn performance artist Paperboy Prince has filed to run for president in New Hampshire, following unsuccessful runs for Congress, mayor and City Council.

GETTING A RAISE: The mayor released his 2022 tax return to reporters Thursday after filing for a monthslong extension from the initial April deadline. The results offer a window into his financial situation after assuming the highest elected office in the city.

The main takeaway? Adams got a raise from his previous post as Brooklyn borough president. And along with his NYPD pension and royalties from a book he authored, that brought his total taxable income to $313,358, up from $231,977 the year before.

The mayor declared a loss on his rental property in Bedford Stuyvesant, a tabulation that took into account depreciation, expenses and, as a City Hall spokesperson noted, a tenant that has been paying rent only intermittently. — Joe Anuta

More from the city:

— Top Adams operative Tim Pearson was once convicted by the NYPD of impeding an internal investigation of a domestic incident. (THE CITY)

— The city is spending millions on migrant laundry in local shelters. (New York Post)

— Adams has ramped up efforts to fly migrants to the destination of their choice. (POLITICO)

ALBANY IS LOVING THAT NYC MONEY: After a pandemic slowdown, the city remains a strong, burgeoning economic engine for New York State, according to a report Thursday from state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.

With New York City’s gross domestic product rising 8.2 percent from 2017 to 2022, even as its population has declined, the city has in many ways rebounded from the pandemic, DiNapoli’s report says.

But it’s not all good news. The city’s poorest continue to struggle. In 2022, more city households were under the poverty line compared to 2021, and the total number of poverty-stricken city households has risen 8.7 percent from 2017 to 2022.

The percentage of Black residents has also declined 10 percent, and the share of cost-burdened homeowners and renters — those who spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing — has also risen 11 percent and 4 percent, respectively, the comptroller’s office said.

DiNapoli’s report comes as the Adams administration has boasted that recent job numbers show a strong macroeconomic picture for a city once battered by the pandemic.

Last week, Adams celebrated the city regaining all jobs lost during the pandemic and said the Big Apple now has 4.7 million jobs, the most in the city’s history.

DiNapoli largely celebrated the city’s economic rebound in the report, saying New York City now represents 43 percent of total statewide collections, nearing pre-pandemic levels. — Jason Beeferman

VETERAN BILL APPROVAL: A bipartisan push is underway for Hochul to sign a measure meant to expedite the naturalization process for undocumented family members of people who are serving in the military as well as veterans.

The bill, backed by Republican state Sen. Jake Ashby and Democratic state Assemblymember Catalina Cruz, is named in honor of Alex Jimenez, who was killed while serving in Iraq. As Jimenez was listed as missing in action, his wife was undergoing the deportation process.

“Military families are American families, period,” Ashby, an Iraq war veteran, said. “Elected officials across the country talk a lot about improving the immigration system and expanding legal pathways to citizenship. In New York, we’re taking action.”

If approved, the state Department of Veterans’ Services would hire staff to work with veterans and aid their families in the naturalization process.

“By signing this legislation, we send a clear message: We honor their service by safeguarding the dreams and aspirations of their loved ones,” Cruz said. “Their sacrifice deserves our unwavering support.” — Nick Reisman

More from Albany:

— New York will pick up the tab for Hochul’s trip to Israel. (POLITICO Pro)

— State lawmakers want to ban low-flying drones around schools. (Times Union)

— A new law will block the sale of weight-loss supplements to kids. (LoHud)

GILLEN IS WINNIN’: More than half of likely Democratic primary voters in the 4th Congressional District — 53 percent — would pick Laura Gillen in a head-to-head match up against Kevin Thomas, who gets just 10 percent, while 37 percent aren’t sure.

That’s according to a Public Policy Polling survey commissioned by Gillen’s campaign and shared exclusivity with Playbook of 464 people in the South Shore, Long Island district. Gillen, the former Hempstead Town Supervisor, lost to Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito last year and wants a second chance, State Sen. Kevin Thomas wants his turn, but has a big name recognition gap to make up, her campaign contends.

“Laura Gillen is the clear Democratic frontrunner in NY-04, and it’s not even close,” said campaign manager Sarah Carlson. She’s in “a powerful position to win the primary … and ultimately beat Anthony D’Esposito.”

But Thomas’ campaign manager Alexa Sheryll spat back: “No one is better than Laura Gillen at losing races she’s supposed to win, and no one is better than Kevin Thomas at winning races he’s supposed to lose.” When voters learn more about Thomas, it’ll “resonate with voters across Long Island.” — Jeff Coltin

DO THE CRIME, PAY THE FINE: Rep. Jamaal Bowman will pay a $1,000 fine and serve three months probation after pleading guilty Thursday to a misdemeanor charge of falsely pulling a fire alarm.

Security camera footage obtained by NY1 showed Bowman pulling the alarm and, apparently, walking away with a warning sign that was on the door.

More from the delegation:

— New York Republicans looking to expel Rep. George Santos are planning to move for a vote on resolution next week, but it seems unlikely to pass. (POLITICO)

FIRST IN POLITICO: NY’S CANNABIS CRACKDOWN — The Empire State is struggling to contend with its massive illicit marijuana market, in part due to delays in launching regulated dispensaries to fulfill New Yorkers’ demand for weed.

In total, the Office of Cannabis Management, in collaboration with the Department of Taxation and Finance, has conducted 270 enforcement inspections, seized 9,000 pounds of illicit weed totaling more than $45 million worth of product since June.

The impact: The full scale of the impact of enforcement remains to be seen, given that unlicensed storefronts in New York City alone number in the thousands. New York is home to a multi-billion-dollar illicit marijuana market, one that has come out in the open since the state legalized recreational marijuana.

What’s next: On Monday, state Senate Subcommittee on Cannabis Chair Jeremy Cooney will conduct a hearing on the issues related to the rollout. OCM Executive Director Chris Alexander is expected to testify. — Mona Zhang

— More acorns are falling in New York this year, and there’s a reason why. (Newsday)

— Employees of the Queens County Farm Museum say it’s falling apart under politically connected Executive Director Jennifer Walden Weprin, since she doesn’t know about agriculture. (Queens Chronicle)

— Law enforcement in New York can now use DNA databases to search for relatives of potential criminal suspects, the state’s highest court ruled. (The Associated Press)

MEDIAWATCH: Sharla McBride is now co-host of Newsmax’s “Wake Up America,” joining Rob Finnerty. She was a news and sports anchor at WUSA in Washington and has worked in broadcast news for 17 years.

MAKING MOVES: Sideya Sherman has been appointed New York City’s chief equity officer and commissioner at the Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice. She was commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Equity.

— Linda Tigani is now chair and executive director of the New York City Commission on Racial Equity. She was acting chief equity and strategy officer at the city Department of Health.

— Edward Goodman is now a partner in the real estate practice of Tarter Krinsky & Drogin. He was a partner at Ingram Yuzek Gainen Carroll & Bertolotti.

COMING ATTRACTIONS: “Schumer to host AI workforce forum with labor unions, big banks and tech scholars,” by FedScoop’s Nihal Krishan

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Matt Drudge … Vanity Fair’s Michael Calderone … Emily Vander Weele of Weber Shandwick ... Zoe Chace of “This American Life” … Ali Watkins … Chris Vlasto … Nina Easton Schriefer

— The iconic Flatiron Building is going residential, with the Brodsky Organization announcing it plans to convert the office building into condos. (The Real Deal)

— Finding a $2,000 per month apartment in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties can prove difficult, but not impossible. (LoHud)

— A 14-acre college campus in Buffalo is now open for bidding after the university closed its doors two months ago. (Buffalo News)