Mamdani is an existential threat to Jewish New Yorkers

A man who has a twisted, revisionist theory about the Holocaust and the history of Jewish suffering has a real chance to become the mayor of the largest populated Jewish city outside of Israel.

Let that sink in. A man who was asked to condemn "Globalize the Intifada," a violent, vicious series of uprisings against Jews across Israel, and refused to do so may become mayor of New York City.

"To me, ultimately, what I hear in so many is a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights," Zohran Mamdani said, notably with no regrets. 

TRUMP SLAMS ‘TOTAL NUT JOB’ MAMDANI FOR NOT CONDEMNING ‘GLOBALIZE THE INTIFADA’ PHRASE

Zohran Mamdani speaks during a press conference while campaigning outside a Subway station in New York City, April 1, 2025. (Reuters/Brendan McDermid)

He never backed down, and instead of apologizing to the Jewish community, decided to take a moment to speak about Islamophobia. Yes, that is a very real issue, and one I have worked hard to combat myself throughout my own career. But this was a moment for Mamdani to show the Jewish world that he is empathetic and can admit when he made a mistake. 

He didn’t. He just said: "It pains me to be called an antisemite." Well, if Jewish leaders are calling you an antisemite, including the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, maybe you should speak with us to see why we believe this is so.

A mayor who openly protested Jewish students on campus and started a Students for Justice in Palestine chapter will certainly not be friendly to Jews who don’t fit his tokenized criteria of what makes a good Jew.

His support of BDS is another shocking reality that Jewish New Yorkers may face if he wins the November general election. Simply put, anti-Zionism is the latest form of antisemitism. Anti-Zionism denies Jews the right to self-defense. Anti-Zionism denies the historical connection between the Jewish people and the land of Israel. 

Pro-Israel counter-protesters watch as hundreds of anti-Israel agitators stage a demonstration outside of NYU’s Stern School of Business in Manhattan on April 22, 2024. (Julia Bonavita/Fox News Digital)

Furthermore, according to Politico, this is a man who refused to co-sponsor a bill condemning the Holocaust. His rhetoric is simply unacceptable and indefensible. Since that article, Mamdani accused Politico of making "baseless accusations" and "falsely claiming that I refused to condemn the Holocaust," the publication reported at the time.

In May 2024, Mamdani introduced the antisemitic "Not on Our Dime" bill, seeking to strip Jewish nonprofits supporting Israel of their tax-exempt status. Needless to say, it was rejected as a "nonstarter" by New York lawmakers.

Imagine what would have happened in New York City if Iran and Israel’s 12-day war took place with Mamdani as mayor. Do you think Jewish New Yorkers would feel safe? Do you think there would be extra protection at synagogues and Jewish events?

The answer, emphatically, is no.

Anti-Israel protesters gather at the gates of Columbia University in New York City on April 30, 2024. (Reuters/David Dee Delgado)

In April, the NYPD reported 41 antisemitic hate crimes, the highest since 45 incidents in June 2024. I am truly worried to speculate what will happen if Mamdani becomes mayor and the antisemitic gangs he’s associated with feel empowered.

This is a challenging time for Jewish New Yorkers. In the words often attributed to the Anglo-Irish philosopher and statesman Edmund Burke, "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

We call on men and women of goodwill from all faiths and ethnicities to raise their voices in screaming protest and to call out Mamdani’s blatant antisemitic and anti-Israel rhetoric and diatribe. 

Rabbi Marc Schneier is the president of The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding and the founding and senior Rabbi at The Hampton Synagogue.