Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of the New York City-based Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, responded on Monday to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) report, which revealed that over 20% of New York City Mayoral-Elect Zohran Mamdani's committee appointees hold antisemitic views.
"No one should be surprised by the ADL's report that revealed over 20% of Zohran Mamdani's transition team members hold extremist views and have ties with notoriously antisemitic organizations,” said Rabbi Schneier.
“Mamdani is drawing a false distinction between antisemitism and criticizing the Israeli government. He is in no position to draw such a distinction when he will not even recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, which is antisemitic in of itself. If a large portion of the Arab world can recognize the Jewish state of Israel, so can he. You cannot stop antisemitism while being part of the problem,” he added.
Even before the ADL report, the Mayor-elect was already under fire for his anti-Israel actions, including his criticism of Israel on October 8, 2023 - just one day after the Hamas massacre in southern Israel, as well as his refusal to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada”.
He has repeatedly accused Israel of war crimes in its battle against Hamas in Gaza, and has vowed to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York City.
Mamdani also caused an uproar after his initial response to an anti-Israel protest outside Park East Synagogue in Manhattan, in which demonstrators chanted “death to the IDF” and “globalize the intifada”. The synagogue had rented space to Nefesh B’Nefesh, an organization that assists Jews moving to Israel.
Mamdani’s first reaction, delivered through a spokeswoman, “discouraged the language” used at the protest but also rebuked the synagogue, saying “these sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law”, though it did not explain what about the work of Nefesh B’Nefesh can be construed as violation of international law.
He later shifted tone and published a clarification which omitted any criticism of the synagogue and emphasized protection of Jewish institutions amid rising antisemitism.
Last week, Mamdani pledged to reform his administration’s vetting process after a senior appointee was forced to resign following the exposure of antisemitic social media posts.