US Rep. Ritchie Torres responded to New York City mayoral candidate Zohram Mamdani's defense of "globalize the Intifada" calls with a plea that the far left demonstrate the same empathy it shows for other minorities to the Jewish people.
"Even if we stipulate—for the sake of argument—that ‘Globalize the Intifada’ is not a call to violence (even though it clearly is), what matters is not the speaker’s intent but how the phrase is received by many in the Jewish community," Torres stated.
"The far left should try extending to Jews the same empathy and sensitivity it so readily affords others," he added.
On Tuesday, Mamdani claimed in an appearance on The Bulwark podcast that "globalize the Intifada" was not a call for violence but merely a statement in support of Palestinian Arab rights. He further contended that the US Holocaust Memorial Museum used the term "Intifada" to describe the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
“I think what’s difficult also is that the very word has been used by the Holocaust Museum when translating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising into Arabic, because it’s a word that means struggle,” Mamdani said.
The Democratic Socialist's assertion was condemned by the very museum he sought to use to justify his position. The US Holocaust Memorial Museum wrote in response to Mamdani, “Exploiting the Museum and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising to sanitize ‘globalize the intifada’ is outrageous and especially offensive to survivors. Since 1987 Jews have been attacked and murdered under its banner. All leaders must condemn its use and the abuse of history.”
Mamdani continues to trail former New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo in the race for the Democratic primary. However, the New York Post reports that Cuomo's lead has been cut in half and he now leads Mamdani by 10 percentage points. The primary will be held on Tuesday, June 24.