What Zohran Mamdani really thinks about Israel and Jews
Pray for New York. It's going to the dogs if Mamdani gets in as its next mayor.
Twitter
Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor following his stunning primary upset against Andrew Cuomo, has thrust his radical views on Israel into the spotlight. Far from the polished rhetoric of mainstream politicians, Mamdani’s stance is a blunt rejection of Israel’s legitimacy, rooted in a worldview that mirrors his father’s anti-Israel activism. This isn’t about diplomatic nuance—it’s a full-throated embrace of the pro-Gaza, anti-Israel camp, and it’s raising eyebrows about what his potential mayoralty could mean for a city with a massive Jewish population.
Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist with roots in Uganda and a political education shaped by Bowdoin College’s Students for Justice in Palestine, has never shied away from his hostility toward Israel. His father, Mahmood Mamdani, a Columbia University professor and postcolonial scholar, has openly called for Israel’s “dismantlement” and drawn Nazi comparisons, a stance that has fueled campus encampments and anti-Western sentiment. Zohran has inherited this ideological DNA, blending it with his own political ambitions. His recent statements and actions paint a picture of a man who sees Israel not just as a flawed state, but as a pariah that deserves condemnation and isolation.
On the campaign trail, Mamdani has repeatedly dodged questions about Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, a deliberate evasion that speaks volumes. When pressed by Stephen Colbert on *The Late Show*, he conceded that Israel has a “right to exist” like any nation—but quickly tacked on a demand that it must “uphold international law,” a thinly veiled swipe at its military actions in Gaza. He’s gone further, vowing to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York, a move he has no legal authority to enforce as mayor, signaling a performative zeal to punish Israel’s leadership. His defense of the slogan “Globalize the Intifada”—widely interpreted as a call for violence against Israel—has only deepened the controversy, with critics like the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum slamming his stance as reckless.
Mamdani’s rhetoric echoes former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s recent condemnation of Gaza operations as “criminal killing of civilians,” a line he’s wielded to bolster his case. Yet, this selective citation ignores Olmert’s broader pro-Israel record, suggesting Mamdani cherry-picks to fit his narrative. His support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, including sponsoring New York’s “Not on Our Dime!” bill to cut funding to pro-Israel charities, underscores a strategy to economically strangle the Jewish state. He’s framed this as a nonviolent push for equality, but critics argue it’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing, targeting Jewish self-determination under the guise of human rights.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Mahmood Mamdani’s academic work, which critiques Western views of Muslims and highlights colonial legacies, has long cast Israel as a colonial oppressor. Zohran has absorbed this lens, using it to justify his refusal to affirm Israel as a Jewish state, arguing that any “hierarchy of citizenship based on religion” is unacceptable. This stance, articulated in public forums, dismisses the historical and cultural context of Israel’s founding, reducing it to a simplistic moral failing.
His victory in the Democratic primary, backed by figures like Bernie Sanders and fueled by a shifting Democratic base—where nearly 70% now view Israel unfavorably, per Pew—shows this rhetoric resonates with a growing segment of voters. Yet, it’s a double-edged sword. In a city with nearly 1 million Jews, his positions have sparked alarm, with opponents like Cuomo leveraging the Jewish vote and pro-Israel groups pouring money into smear campaigns. Mamdani’s response? He doubles down, claiming his views reflect a demand for “equality” and dismissing accusations of antisemitism as smears.
But let’s cut through the noise. Mamdani isn’t just critical of Israeli policy—he’s fundamentally opposed to its existence as a Jewish entity, a position that aligns with his father’s radicalism and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), which he represents. His refusal to condemn Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack or antisemitic violence posturing as anti-Israel activism further fuels the perception that his agenda prioritizes Gaza’s cause over Jewish safety. Whether this will tank his mayoral bid or cement a new political reality in New York remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: Mamdani’s views are a middle finger to Israel’s supporters, and he’s not backing down.