Democratic nominee for governor Phil Murphy chided residents of Mahwah for creating an “overarching perception of anti-Semitism and discrimination” in its rejection of an eruv, he wrote in a pointed op-ed published in the Jewish Standard on Thursday.

“The heated rhetoric during recent public meetings points to a disturbing undercurrent of stereotyping and unsubtle innuendo," Murphy wrote. "Sadly, not all of Mahwah’s residents embrace tolerance."

Uproarious town hall meetings have become a hallmark since July, when residents began protesting the expansion of the Orthodox Jewish religious boundary from New York State into Mahwah and other Bergen County towns. The meetings often draw hundreds of residents who view the eruv as the first step toward a population explosion by Orthodox Jews — similar to Lakewood in Ocean County and Rockland County in New York — that can lead to issues with the school system, high-density housing and overcrowding.

In his op-ed, Murphy condemned the treatment of outsiders — many of whom are Jewish — who speak at town meetings in the eruv’s defense, and are often subject to heckling by residents.

“When a Holocaust survivor at a public meeting is heckled, and then denounced as a fraud, there is a problem," Murphy wrote. "When well-intentioned residents are disparaged as 'paid actors' for a 'Jewish money conspiracy scheme' there is a problem.”

Murphy’s piece drew sharp criticism from Robert Hermansen, the Mahwah council president and a former Republican freeholder. Hermansen accused Murphy of casting residents in a negative light. The gubernatorial candidate has not visited Mahwah since attending a fundraiser in the township last year, Hermansen said.

“The comments he made were a disgrace," Hermansen said. "It shows the exact reason why the people of Mahwah should not support him."

Representatives from Murphy’s campaign could not be reached Friday.

The Democratic nominee’s statement on Thursday marks the first time he has publicly addressed the eruv in northwest Bergen, which extends through Mahwah and parts of Upper Saddle River. Local leaders in those communities have called for the eruv’s removal, arguing that it was constructed without consent and violates local zoning laws.

Mahwah, Upper Saddle River and Montvale are facing federal lawsuits from an eruv association in New York State.

Eruvin are marked by half-inch PVC pipes on utility poles that create a ritual enclosure allowing Orthodox Jews to push and carry objects outside their homes on Saturdays and Jewish holidays.

“The subject of eruvs has been settled by the courts as a matter of religious freedom,” Murphy wrote in his op-ed.

The financier and former U.S. ambassador currently holds a double-digit lead in the polls over Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno.

In recent weeks, Guadagno’s camp has questioned the Murphy campaign’s commitment to Jews after his running mate, Sheila Oliver, voted against a bill that prohibits state pension investments in companies that boycott Israel.

Murphy later said that he would have signed the bill as governor.

