Radical rhetoric meets reality as anti-Israel mayor inherits Netanyahu posts while allies erase Jewish protection pledges.
New York City entered a political paradox this week as Zohran Mamdani was sworn in and formally assumed control of the city’s official mayoral social media accounts, including @NYCMayor. Almost instantly, Mamdani’s name appeared beside posts authored by his predecessor, Eric Adams—including prominent pro-Israel messages.
Among the inherited posts is a September update detailing Adams’ meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, complete with a photo of the two leaders. Social media users quickly noted the irony, given Mamdani’s long record of hostile statements toward Israel and his refusal to disavow the slogan “globalize the intifada.”
Criticism intensified as observers recalled Mamdani’s public condemnation of Israel on October 8, 2023—just one day after the Hamas massacre in southern Israel. Since then, he has repeatedly accused Israel of war crimes in Gaza and pledged to arrest Netanyahu should he visit New York, citing an International Criminal Court warrant—an assertion legal experts dispute in the U.S. context.
Simultaneously, users on X reported that Mamdani’s staff has begun deleting posts from the Adams era, including statements vowing to protect New York’s Jewish community amid rising antisemitic threats. The Netanyahu meeting post, many speculate, may soon disappear as well.
The episode underscores a widening gap between Israel-supportive democratic leadership and a growing strain of radical rhetoric that targets the Jewish state while downplaying terrorism—fueling concerns among New York’s Jewish residents about safety, representation, and selective moral outrage.
