New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani’s recent statement that he would stop using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)’s working definition of antisemitism has drawn swift condemnation from members of Congress, including a representative from his own party, JNS reports.
Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Mike Lawler (R-NY) denounced Mamdani’s “reckless attempt” to drop the use of the IHRA definition as “shameful, dangerous and completely disgusting.” The bipartisan lawmakers are the lead sponsors of the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which would enshrine that definition into law to ensure that the US Department of Education “has a clear, consistent standard to combat antisemitism wherever it rears its ugly head,” they stated.
Mamdani, a New York state assemblyman who won the Democratic nomination for mayor and currently holds a double-digit lead in surveys, made his controversial comments in a recent Bloomberg News interview. He also told the outlet that he supports the movement to boycott Israel, drawing the additional wrath of Gottheimer and Lawler.
“Let’s be extremely clear. The BDS movement is antisemitic,” the two lawmakers stated, as quoted by JNS. “Efforts to delegitimize Israel’s right to exist are antisemitic, and refusing to outright condemn the violent call to ‘globalize the intifada’—offering only that you’d discourage its use—is indefensible.”
“There are no two sides about the meaning of this slogan,” they added. “It is hate speech, plain and simple.”
Mamdani has come under fire for his anti-Israel stance, which included his failure to condemn the phrase "globalize the intifada" and his criticism of Israel on October 8, 2023 - just one day after the Hamas massacre in southern Israel.
A recent Quinnipiac University poll highlighted the deep disapproval of Mamdani among the city’s Jewish community. Three-quarters of likely Jewish voters surveyed earlier this month said they hold unfavorable views about the mayoral candidate.
The poll found that Jewish voters favor incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent. Adams leads among Jewish voters with 42%, which is double Mamdani’s 21%. Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is also running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to Mamadni, is third with 20% of the Jewish vote.
Despite his controversial stance on Israel, New York Governor Kathy Hochul officially endorsed Mamdani earlier this week.
In her endorsement, Hochul stated that she discussed with Mamdani “the need to combat the rise of antisemitism urgently and unequivocally. I’ve been glad to see him meet with Jewish leaders across the city, listening and addressing their concerns directly. I look forward to working together to make sure New Yorkers of all faiths feel safe and welcome in New York City.”
Hochul had previously said that she told Mamdani that he needs to make amends with the city’s Jewish community.