At a time of rising antisemitism and extremism in the United States and around the world, Zohran Mamdani’s election as Mayor of New York City should serve as a wake up call.
Mamdani has promoted an antisemitic conspiracy theory falsely blaming Israelis for cases of police brutality in New York, openly supports the anti-Israel BDS (boycott, divest and sanction) movement calling it the “core of my politics,” made excuses for dangerous and violent slogans such as “globalize the intifada,” and promoted campaigns to strip away the rights of Jews to self-determination in Israel. His closest political allies, including the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and Linda Sarsour, have long records of antizionism. He has refused to say Hamas should lay down its arms. His campaign has tokenized Jews by using Satmar Hasidic Jews and the far-left self-described Jewish Voice for Peace to deflect criticism and avoid accountability.
CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) donated significantly to the Mamdani campaign. CAIR’s leader said he was “happy” about October 7th Hamas invasion and massacre.
This is especially alarming in an environment where Jewish communities already face unprecedented levels of hate crimes, harassment, and intimidation. Now more than ever, leadership matters. When elected officials normalize or excuse violent bigotry, they embolden further discrimination and physical attacks.
Fueling antisemitism will not help make New York a better or more affordable place to live. It will only poison the city and make it harder to solve its biggest problems. We hope the incoming Mayor will have the humility to abandon the destructive ideas and toxic allies he has embraced throughout his political career.
As Mamdani assumes office, StandWithUs will use all the tools at our disposal to defend the rights of Jewish New Yorkers. We will educate and speak out against antisemitism and anti-Israel extremism in all their forms. We will hold Mayor Mamdani accountable, and we expect civic leaders, the media, and the public to do likewise, toward making New York a city where all Jews, and all people, can be safe and welcome.
