Presented with the opportunity to show that he plans to make good on his pledge to stand with Jewish New Yorkers to combat “the scourge of anti-Semitism,” Zohran Mamdani failed miserably. We now have even more reason to fear for our safety.
Nefesh B’Nefesh, an organization dedicated to helping Jews make Aliyah, held an event at the Park East Synagogue. A pro-Palestinian group demonstrated outside the synagogue. What took place was not just a demonstration. There were chants of “from New York to Gaza, globalize the intifada.” The intifada has meant suicide bombings, rock throwing, and other attacks on Jews in Israel. The “protesters” were calling for attacks on Jews in New York. Other chants included, “resistance you make us proud, take another settler out.” To these “demonstrators” all Israelis are “settlers.” The chant was a call to “take out” the potential “settlers.” Lest there be any doubt about that, one “protester” addressing the crowd shouted, “It is our duty to make them think twice before holding these events, we need to make them scared.” What took place was a deliberate attempt to intimidate Jews from attending an event at a synagogue.
This was Mamdani’s golden opportunity to show that he is serious about protecting Jews in New York. He could have said that while he vehemently disagrees with Nefesh B’Nefesh, the synagogue has the right to host an event to promote immigration to Israel and Jews have the right to attend it without fear of intimidation. While he supports the Palestinian cause, he condemns the attempt to intimidate people attending an event at a synagogue. When he is Mayor, he will make sure that the police protect Jews attending events at synagogues even when he disagrees with the purpose of the event.
Instead, his spokesperson issued a statement saying, “The Mayor-elect has discouraged the language used at last night’s protest and will continue to do so. He believes every New Yorker should be free to enter a house of worship without intimidation and that these sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law.”
In reality, Mamdani defended the term “globalize the intifada,” only reluctantly agreeing to “discourage” its use this past summer. The intimidation of Jews attending an event at a synagogue should not simply be “discouraged,” it should be condemned in no uncertain terms.
When other groups are threatened, the specific form of bigotry—such as “racism,” “Islamophobia,” or “homophobia”—is stated. The victims, African Americans, Muslims, or LGBTQ persons, are identified. Members of these groups properly have said that since they are the victims, the need to specifically protect them should be spelled out. Given the nature of the protest, and the fact that Jews are the victims of the overwhelming majority of hate crimes in New York, an innocuous statement about “every New Yorker” was not enough. Mamdani himself, on camera, needed to call out the anti-Semitic and violent nature of the protest and specifically state that Jews have the right to attend an event at a synagogue without fear of intimidation.
Mamdani went on to blame the synagogue for the incident, saying that “sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law.” He has essentially claimed that promoting Aliyah is a “violation of international law.”
This comes from a man who led chants of “Free, Free Palestine” in mosques in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, massacre and frequently campaigned in churches and mosques.
Mamdani has proclaimed that he is the arbiter of what is an appropriate use of “sacred space.” Promoting his candidacy and views is appropriate; promoting Aliyah to Israel is not. The U.S. Constitution guarantees the rights of freedom of speech and peaceable assembly. No public official has the right to infringe on that. We have the right to attend an event promoting Aliyah to Israel without fear of intimidation and without being lectured by Mamdani on what is or is not an appropriate use of “sacred space.”
If there was any hope that Mamdani would protect Jews in New York, those hopes are gone. When the Mayor-elect blames the Jews for a mob intimidating Jews from attending an event at a synagogue, it is time to vote against him with our feet.
Manny Behar is the former Executive Director of the Queens Jewish Community Council and a senior aide to New York City public officials. He now lives in the Talpiot neighborhood of Jerusalem and can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..