Arab-led anti-Israel extremism intensifies New York’s antisemitism crisis as Mamdani scrambles to mask his record.
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani issued a revised and firmer statement Monday after facing intense backlash for his weak and inflammatory response to the pro-Palestinian Arab protest that erupted outside Park East Synagogue last week.
The protest—driven by radical anti-Israel activists—featured demonstrators chanting “death to the IDF” and “globalize the intifada,” slogans openly glorifying violence against Jews and Israel. Their target that night was Nefesh B’Nefesh, the respected nonprofit that helps Jews immigrate to Israel—a perfectly lawful humanitarian mission twisted by activists into yet another excuse for agitation.
Mamdani’s initial reaction was widely condemned as a misguided attempt to blame the synagogue, claiming that “sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law.” His office failed to explain how helping Jews settle in Israel—a fundamental right of the Jewish people—constitutes any such violation. Jewish leaders immediately denounced the mayor-elect for effectively justifying extremist hate rather than confronting it.
Following heavy criticism, Mamdani abruptly shifted tone. In his updated statement to The New York Times, he declared that “nothing can justify language calling for ‘death to’ anyone,” calling it “unacceptable, full stop.” His spokeswoman added that he had spoken directly with the congregation’s rabbi and his son—this time dropping all insinuations against the synagogue, which had only rented its space for a lawful event.
The course-correction comes amid surging antisemitism in New York, much of it driven by pro-Palestinian Arab agitators whose rhetoric increasingly mirrors that of Hamas. NYPD data released the day before Mamdani’s election found that Jews were targeted in 62% of all hate crimes last month—29 antisemitic incidents out of 47 total. On the very day he was elected, swastikas defaced the Magen David Yeshiva in Brooklyn.
Days later, the Cobble Hill neighborhood discovered graffiti reading “Fk Jews”**, another sign of a city spiraling under the weight of imported hatred.
Mamdani’s record offers little reassurance. He has:
- Accused Israel of war crimes even while Hamas boasted of its October 7 atrocities.
- Refused to condemn the chant “globalize the intifada,” shouted again outside the synagogue.
- Threatened to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he visit New York.
His delayed condemnation now appears less like moral clarity and more like political damage control, forced by public outrage rather than driven by principle.New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani issued a revised and firmer statement Monday after facing intense backlash for his weak and inflammatory response to the pro-Palestinian Arab protest that erupted outside Park East Synagogue last week.
The protest—driven by radical anti-Israel activists—featured demonstrators chanting “death to the IDF” and “globalize the intifada,” slogans openly glorifying violence against Jews and Israel. Their target that night was Nefesh B’Nefesh, the respected nonprofit that helps Jews immigrate to Israel—a perfectly lawful humanitarian mission twisted by activists into yet another excuse for agitation.
Mamdani’s initial reaction was widely condemned as a misguided attempt to blame the synagogue, claiming that “sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law.” His office failed to explain how helping Jews settle in Israel—a fundamental right of the Jewish people—constitutes any such violation. Jewish leaders immediately denounced the mayor-elect for effectively justifying extremist hate rather than confronting it.
Following heavy criticism, Mamdani abruptly shifted tone. In his updated statement to The New York Times, he declared that “nothing can justify language calling for ‘death to’ anyone,” calling it “unacceptable, full stop.” His spokeswoman added that he had spoken directly with the congregation’s rabbi and his son—this time dropping all insinuations against the synagogue, which had only rented its space for a lawful event.
The course-correction comes amid surging antisemitism in New York, much of it driven by pro-Palestinian Arab agitators whose rhetoric increasingly mirrors that of Hamas. NYPD data released the day before Mamdani’s election found that Jews were targeted in 62% of all hate crimes last month—29 antisemitic incidents out of 47 total. On the very day he was elected, swastikas defaced the Magen David Yeshiva in Brooklyn.
Days later, the Cobble Hill neighborhood discovered graffiti reading “Fk Jews”**, another sign of a city spiraling under the weight of imported hatred.
Mamdani’s record offers little reassurance. He has:
- Accused Israel of war crimes even while Hamas boasted of its October 7 atrocities.
- Refused to condemn the chant “globalize the intifada,” shouted again outside the synagogue.
- Threatened to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he visit New York.
His delayed condemnation now appears less like moral clarity and more like political damage control, forced by public outrage rather than driven by principle.
