Andrew Cuomo challenges rival Zohran Mamdani to denounce antisemitic incitement ahead of the October 7 anniversary, demanding moral clarity from NYC’s leadership hopefuls.
On the eve of the second anniversary of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 massacre, former New York Governor and current mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo issued a blistering rebuke to his opponent Zohran Mamdani, demanding he publicly condemn the extremist slogan “Globalize the Intifada.”
“Let’s be clear,” Cuomo declared, as quoted by JNS. “Calls to ‘globalize the intifada’ are not abstract slogans—they are calls for violence against Jews. There is no justification, no context, and no moral equivalence that excuses that language or intent.”
Cuomo, who is running as an independent candidate, said that moral leadership must begin with rejecting hate unequivocally:
“Mamdani continues to play word games instead of showing moral clarity. I again call on him—directly and unequivocally—to denounce this phrase and reject any movement that glorifies violence or targets Jewish people.”
The challenge comes as New York prepares to mark two years since Hamas’s barbaric terror attack that slaughtered 1,200 Israelis, wounded thousands, and dragged more than 250 hostages into Gaza. Cuomo’s call has drawn wide support from Jewish and pro-Israel organizations, who view his campaign as a vital stand against the normalization of antisemitic rhetoric in American politics.
Mamdani, who has long faced backlash for his anti-Israel positions, drew outrage when he refused to condemn the slogan “Globalize the Intifada,” a rallying cry linked to violent anti-Jewish protests worldwide. Just one day after Hamas’s October 7 bloodbath, Mamdani accused Israel of “war crimes” and later announced he would abandon use of the IHRA working definition of antisemitism, a globally accepted framework adopted by dozens of democratic nations.
The controversy deepened after Mamdani declared he would seek the arrest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should the Israeli leader visit New York—citing the International Criminal Court’s disputed warrant.
Political observers say Mamdani’s rhetoric echoes the same ideological hostility that fuels antisemitic extremism in Europe and on U.S. campuses. Cuomo’s firm stance, by contrast, has galvanized New York’s Jewish community, which has rallied behind him since Mayor Eric Adams withdrew from the race amid reports of White House pressure designed to consolidate moderate support around Cuomo.
As the city prepares to mourn and remember October 7, Cuomo’s message reverberates far beyond New York: moral clarity is not negotiable.
“Words matter,” Cuomo said. “Silence in the face of hatred is complicity. Leaders must choose courage over cowardice.”
