(New York, NY – November 21, 2025) — StandWithUs strongly condemns the antisemitic demonstration that took place on November 19, outside Park East Synagogue in New York City. The slogans heard – including “Globalize the intifada,” “Take another settler out,” and “Death to the IDF” – were not merely political protest: they amounted to blatant incitement, intimidation, and hostility directed at Jews and a sacred house of worship. This was not a peaceful expression of dissent, but rather an aggressive, targeted display of hate. To gather in front of a synagogue and shout calls for violence against Jews or Israelis is deeply disturbing, and it undermines the very foundations of religious freedom and public safety.
We are also alarmed by the weak condemnation issued by Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. While his office “discouraged” the language used, his statement went further to question the legitimacy of an event held inside the synagogue, framing it as an “activity … in violation of international law.” This equivocal response effectively shifts blame onto the Jewish community, rather than placing full accountability on those who engaged in hateful speech. By failing to explicitly denounce the antisemitic nature of the chants, the administration risks normalizing violence and undermining the security of New York’s Jewish institutions. There was also no violation of international law being promoted at the event which was aimed at Jews considering living in their ancestral homeland – an understandable response to the election of a mayor whose platform and rhetoric is seen by many New York Jews as divisive, discriminatory and dangerous.
This is not a matter of political debate: it is a matter of safety, respect, and basic human dignity. True leadership demands more than minimal rebuke. It demands a clear, unambiguous defense of Jewish life, the right to worship, and the inviolable right to feel safe in one’s own community.
Following his election, StandWithUs warned that Mamdani has promoted an antisemitic conspiracy theory falsely blaming Israelis for cases of police brutality in New York. He openly supports the anti-Israel BDS (boycott, divest and sanction) movement, which seeks to strip away the rights of Jews to self-determination in Israel, calling it the “core of my politics.” He has also made excuses for dangerous and violent slogans such as “globalize the intifada.”
A protest leader outside Park East Synagogue told the crowd: “It is our duty to make them think twice before holding these events. We need to make them scared. We need to make them scared. We need to make them scared.” This is the definition of terrorism – but Jews will not cower to the efforts of extremists to intimidate them.
StandWithUs calls on Mayor-elect Mamdani to: Publicly and unequivocally condemn the antisemitic slogans used during the protest, to commit to ensuring that all houses of worship in New York City – including synagogues – are fully protected from intimidation, harassment, and violence, to acknowledge and respect the legitimacy of Jewish gatherings, including those that celebrate Israel or support Jewish immigration to Israel, and refuse to delegitimize them by invoking “international law” in a way that stigmatizes Jewish self-determination and to engage with Jewish communal leaders to rebuild trust, strengthen security, and affirm that antisemitism will not be tolerated in New York City.
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.
We stand with Park East Synagogue, with the Jewish community of New York, and with all who believe in a city where religious freedom is honored and hate has no place. We urge city leadership to act decisively: because inaction in the face of bigotry is itself a betrayal.
