Following Zohran Mamdani’s surprising win in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, Jewish leaders across the city are voicing alarm over what his potential leadership could mean for the safety and future of the Jewish community. Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assemblyman and self-described democratic socialist, defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo in a commanding first-round ranked-choice vote. With his history of anti-Israel activism, support for the BDS movement, and refusal to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, Mamdani’s ascent has triggered concern that antisemitic rhetoric is not only tolerated but politically rewarded. Jewish leaders fear this signals a broader cultural shift where hostility toward Israel is morphing into open animus toward Jews.

The backlash has been swift and passionate. Prominent voices such as Rabbi Marc Schneier likened Mamdani’s rise to historical antisemitic threats, while others, including former Assemblyman Dov Hikind, urged unity to oppose his general election bid. Mamdani’s defense of inflammatory slogans like “globalize the intifada”—widely seen as a call for violence—drew condemnation from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and international Jewish leaders. With antisemitic hate crimes surging in NYC post–October 7, 2023, the city’s large Jewish population sees Mamdani’s rhetoric as dangerously emboldening extremists. European Jewish leaders echoed those fears, warning that anti-Zionist obsession often morphs into antisemitic violence. As pressure builds, some, like ZOA President Morton Klein, are urging American Jews to consider aliyah, seeing Mamdani’s normalization as a red flag in a city once considered a safe haven for Jewish life.

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SOURCE: The Algemeiner