Lou’s Views: Start Spreading The Warning

Zohran Mamdani’s surprise victory in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor has electrified progressives, and deeply unsettled large segments of the city’s Jewish community. As the 33-year-old assemblyman from Queens now leads the race to helm the nation’s most Jewish city, many voters are grappling with his past statements on Israel, his affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America, and his refusal to condemn slogans associated with anti-Jewish violence.

Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and raised in New York, unseated former Governor Andrew Cuomo in a closely contested ranked-choice primary. With a platform calling for a rent freeze, fare-free public transportation, massive investment in social housing, and expanded protections for undocumented immigrants, Mamdani campaigned as a transformative figure intent on reimagining city government. While these proposals have energized the activist left, his critics argue that Mamdani’s ideology is not just radical, it is exclusionary, particularly for Jews in New York.

What has raised the loudest alarm are his views on Israel. Mamdani has repeatedly referred to Israel as an apartheid state and supports the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, a campaign that many mainstream Jewish groups view as anti-Zionist and, in practice, antisemitic. In interviews and public appearances, Mamdani has declined to condemn the slogan “globalize the intifada,” insisting it is a metaphor for solidarity with Palestinians. But for many New Yorkers, especially those with family histories shaped by antisemitic violence, the phrase is a direct reference to terror campaigns that killed civilians, including Jews in Israel and abroad.

“He says he’s not antisemitic, but when you adopt slogans tied to suicide bombings and stabbing attacks, it’s impossible to ignore the implications,” said Rabbi Daniel Lurie of Crown Heights. “Intifada was not symbolic. It was deadly. And too many of us lived it.”

Mamdani has attempted to reassure critics, stating that his criticism is directed at Israeli policy, not Jewish people. “I abhor antisemitism,” he recently told reporters. “My vision for New York includes protecting the rights and dignity of all communities, including Jews.” He points to endorsements from progressive Jewish elected officials such as Congressman Jerry Nadler and City Comptroller Brad Lander as evidence of his inclusive agenda.

Yet the backlash has not subsided. Two editorials in The Wall Street Journal took Mamdani to task in stark terms. One entitled, “Mamdani Brings Third World Prejudices to New York” provides, “He supports the anti-Israel boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and accuses the Jewish state of “genocide” in Gaza. If elected, he said he would arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if the Israeli prime minister visits New York City. He has refused to condemn the chant “globalize the intifada.” During the Second Intifada, between 2000 and 2005, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad killed more than 1,000 Israelis and wounded thousands more.

Pair this with recent murderous antisemitic attacks in Colorado and Washington, and it shouldn’t take a doctorate in linguistics to recognize why the slogan is worrying.”

Another editorial called Mamdani “A Wake-Up Call, And A Bad Example,” noted, “Mr. Mamdani tapped into the same economic discontent, the same zeitgeist, that powered Mr. Trump’s rise. Democrats must recognize that the future starts with a message of economic security for American families.

Mr. Mamdani’s campaign made lofty, utopian promises: free public transit, free college tuition, more public housing, sweeping debt cancellation and massive overhauls of systems far beyond his authority, all paid for by huge tax increases. The last thing New York and other blue jurisdictions need is higher taxes. People are already fleeing cities and states with sky-high taxes. The 2030 census will reveal the extent of this shift, leading to these blue states losing even more congressional representation and political power.”

The concerns extend beyond political rhetoric. Many Jewish leaders worry that if Mamdani becomes mayor, the tone from City Hall will shift toward hostility or indifference to Jewish concerns, particularly for Jews and Orthodox communities. Others fear that the normalization of anti-Israel rhetoric under the banner of social justice could embolden those who harbor deeper animosity toward Jews themselves.

For Mamdani to lose, two things must happen. First, Jewish voters, who make up nearly 20% of New York City’s electorate, must turn out in large numbers, especially in Orthodox neighborhoods where bloc voting can swing close races. Second, Andrew Cuomo must drop out to avoid splitting the anti-Mamdani vote. Unlike Cuomo, Eric Adams still holds support among key working-class and moderate voters, and has built a broader citywide coalition. Adams, despite his flaws, is seen as the more viable candidate to consolidate opposition to Mamdani. Without a unified front, Mamdani could win with just 35% of the vote. High Jewish turnout and consolidation behind Adams offer the clearest path to stopping him.

As the race intensifies, one thing is clear: Mamdani’s rise has stirred not just hope among progressives, but also deep anxiety among one of New York’s most vital and historically vulnerable communities.

No matter what happens in November, the fact that Zohran Mamdani has made it this far is already a deeply troubling sign for many in the Jewish community. That a candidate who supports BDS, refuses to condemn slogans tied to violence, and openly questions the legitimacy of a Jewish state is now one step away from leading the most Jewish city outside of Israel should shake us all.

This isn’t just New York’s future on the line, it’s a warning to Jews across the United States. If this kind of rhetoric can go mainstream in New York, it can happen anywhere. What happens in this election will not stay local; it will echo far beyond the five boroughs, setting a tone for how America treats its Jewish citizens in the years to come.

Lou Shapiro is a criminal defense attorney-certified specialist and legal analyst, but most importantly, makes the end-of-shul announcements at Adas Torah. He can be reached at LouisJShapiro@gmail.com.