Anti-Israel ideology infiltrates city leadership, alarming Jews as terror-linked legal activism nears NYC power.
A Dangerous Signal: Radical Legal Activism Moves Toward City Hall
New York City’s incoming administration is facing sharp criticism after reports that Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is considering Ramzi Kassem for Chief Counsel, the most senior legal advisory role in city government.
According to the New York Post, Kassem—a CUNY law professor and member of Mamdani’s legal transition team—is the leading contender for the position. The potential appointment has deeply unsettled the Jewish community, given Kassem’s long record of defending extremists, attacking Israel, and aligning with radical anti-Zionist causes.
Kassem previously represented Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian-born leader of Columbia University’s pro-Palestinian encampment movement, who was detained by ICE and later released. More alarmingly, Kassem also served as defense counsel for Ahmed al-Darbi, an Al-Qaeda terrorist convicted for the 2002 bombing of a French oil tanker off Yemen.
Democratic political operative Ken Frydman summarized the concern bluntly:
“Everyone is entitled to legal representation—but that doesn’t mean New York City must elevate someone who chose to defend terrorists and extremist agitators.”
Kassem’s ideological record extends far beyond the courtroom. Born in Syria and educated at Columbia Law School on a Soros-family-funded fellowship, he participated in anti-Israel protests, wrote editorials accusing Israel of “ethnic cleansing,” rejected the two-state solution, and claimed Jews came to the Middle East “to conquer land.”
In 2009, Kassem founded the CLEAR Project at CUNY, providing legal aid largely focused on Muslim defendants. The organization has received millions of dollars from George Soros’ Open Society Foundations and MacKenzie Scott, reinforcing concerns about the ideological funding pipeline behind his activism. In 2022, the Biden administration appointed him as a senior immigration policy advisor, further elevating his influence.
The controversy is magnified by Mamdani’s own record. He criticized Israel one day after the October 7 Hamas massacre, refused to condemn the chant “globalize the intifada,” accused Israel of war crimes, and even vowed to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he visit New York City.
Taken together, critics warn this is not about free speech or legal theory—it is about whether New York City’s legal authority will be guided by democratic values or radical anti-Israel ideology that excuses terror and demonizes Jews.
For a city still scarred by rising antisemitism, the message matters. And this message is deeply troubling.
