The Dangers of Anti-Zionism in Jewish Politics

As a mayoral candidate in New York City, Zohran Mamdani's views on Israel have left many Jewish voters with a profound sense of unease. While he may not be antisemitic in the classical sense, his long history of anti-Zionism and affinity for extremist ideologies raises questions about his commitment to fighting antisemitism. A closer look at his biography reveals a disturbing pattern of behavior that has some wondering if he is truly fit to lead a city that is home to one of the largest Jewish populations in the world.

Key Takeaways:

• Mamdani's anti-Zionism is not just a passing phase, but a core part of his identity. As an undergraduate at Bowdoin College, he broke off collaboration with the student arm of J Street, a left-wing Jewish group that supports Palestinian statehood, because they supported Israel as "a democratic homeland for the Jewish people."
• Mamdani has a history of promoting extremist ideologies, including calling for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions and writing a rap song in 2017 that expressed support for the Holy Land Foundation, a group convicted of funneling millions of dollars to Hamas.
• Mamdani introduced a bill in the New York State Assembly that could have jeopardized the tax-exempt status of pro-Israel charities, which some have seen as a suspicious move.
• The lack of any public statements or actions by Mamdani in response to the persecution of Uyghurs in China, Kurds in Turkey, or gays in Uganda has raised eyebrows among Jewish voters who are concerned about his commitment to human rights.
• Many self-proclaimed anti-Zionists claim not to be antisemitic, but Jews don't live in a world of fine-grained semantic distinctions, and Mamdani's actions and statements have been enough to make many Jewish voters question his suitability for office.

Sources:

• Fox News poll, cited in article
• Alex Bores, fellow assemblyman and Democrat, cited in article
• "The Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development" article, cited in article
• Elliot Cosgrove, rabbi of Park Avenue Synagogue, cited in article

Statistics:

• 38% of Jewish New Yorkers intend to vote for Zohran Mamdani for mayor (Fox News poll)
• 42% of Jewish New Yorkers plan to vote for Andrew Cuomo (Fox News poll)
• 13% of Jewish New Yorkers plan to vote for Curtis Sliwa (Fox News poll)
• $12 million: amount of money funneled to Hamas by the Holy Land Foundation
• 15 to 65 years: prison sentences given to Holy Land Foundation defendants
• 80 years: time since the most murderous antisemitic rampage in US history (Oct. 7 attacks)
• 1,000s: number of antisemitic incidents nationwide since the Oct. 7 attacks