State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for mayor of New York City, should not be labeled antisemitic, said former Mayor Bill de Blasio during an appearance on Newsmax. De Blasio defended Mamdani, stating that the assemblyman had clearly spoken out against the atrocities committed on October 7.
“He disagrees with the government of Israel, and you can debate that all you want, but we’ve got to be clear about the facts,” de Blasio emphasized on the program American Agenda.
“Don’t say someone supported Hamas when they didn’t support Hamas. He has condemned those attacks very, very clearly,” he continued, pushing back on claims made against Mamdani in the political discourse.
De Blasio also pointed out that “many Israelis believe there should be, for example, a two-state solution and that Palestinians have rights, too. There’s nothing shocking about that. I think we have to really get clear,” he said.
Insisting that criticism of Israeli policy does not automatically equate to antisemitism, de Blasio asserted, “He’s not an antisemite. I’m really sick of people throwing antisemitism around so lightly. Look, I was mayor of the city with the largest Jewish population on earth. I am a strong supporter of the state of Israel. I believe that Israel is important in this world.”
He added that his opposition to Israel’s current leadership doesn’t diminish his support for the state itself. “I disagree fundamentally with the Netanyahu government. I’m not an antisemite because I disagree with Benjamin Netanyahu. I think the point is, and there are people who are Zionists, I subscribe to that, but there are also people who have real problems with the Israeli government. That doesn’t make them antisemitic.”
{Matzav.com}