Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, who is running for mayor, is facing sharp backlash over comments accusing New York lawmakers of using taxpayer funds for trips to Israel—a claim critics are calling both false and antisemitic.
Jewish leaders say the Queens Assemblyman’s remarks suggest Jewish politicians are abusing public money to favor Israel, fueling age-old antisemitic narratives.
“The danger that Mamdani poses to Jewish freedom in New York City is palpable,” said Queens Councilman Rory Lancman, who also serves as senior counsel at the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law.
Mamdani, 33, made the disputed remarks during a May 11, 2021, anti-Israel rally, where he was seen chanting support for BDS—the movement to boycott and sanction Israel—according to a video that recently resurfaced.
In the clip, which he had originally posted on his Facebook page, Mamdani said, “We have elected officials paid for trips to Israel.”
“They are going there paid for by your tax dollars,” he continued. “They show up at the Israel Day parade and they say, ‘We stand in solidarity.’ We want to let them know that there are three letters that we have as an answer to what is happening in Palestine. It’s BDS.”
However, the trips in question are not funded by public money. Mark Treyger, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, explained that such visits are financed through private philanthropic contributions—not taxpayer dollars. Treyger, whose grandparents were Holocaust survivors, called Mamdani’s claim “insulting and deeply offensive,” and labeled his mayoral campaign “one of the most divisive citywide campaigns in modern New York history.”
Treyger also criticized Mamdani for previously doing an interview with controversial streamer Hasan Piker, who has used blatantly antisemitic language. “Many Jewish New Yorkers are still outraged that Mamdani spent hours sipping espresso with hate influencer Hasan Piker, who has referred to Jews as bloodthirsty pig dogs,” Treyger said.
Lancman, representing the Brandeis Center, argued that Mamdani’s rhetoric is not simply political but reflects deeper animus toward Jews and Israel. “Mamdani’s hatred of the Jewish state and Jewish self-determination is deep-rooted antisemitism, allowing his advocacy to seamlessly blend anti-Israelism with antisemitic tropes — whether it’s that Israel is the reason America isn’t spending enough on affordable housing, or that Jews are stealing taxpayer money to fund trips to Israel,” Lancman told The Post.
Appearing on Bari Weiss’ podcast Tuesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo—currently leading in the Democratic mayoral primary—was asked whether he believes Mamdani is antisemitic. Cuomo avoided a direct answer. “I’m being kind. Antisemite. You have to look into somebody’s soul and look at their motivation. But the position he has taken vis-à-vis Israel is radically hostile,” he said.
Recent polling shows Mamdani in second place behind Cuomo, and actually leading among voters under 45. The Mamdani campaign did not directly address the allegations of antisemitism regarding his taxpayer-funded trip claim.
“Zohran is committed to combating antisemitism—including through the largest fiscal commitment to hate crime prevention of any candidate—and making this city safe and affordable for every New Yorker,” campaign spokesperson Andrew Epstein said.
Mamdani has also drawn criticism for refusing to support two City Council resolutions—one recognizing Israel and another acknowledging the Holocaust. His opponents argued that such positions disqualify him from representing a city with the world’s second-largest Jewish population. Mamdani said he did, in fact, vote for the Holocaust resolution.
He has also secured the endorsement of Jamaal Bowman, a former member of Congress known for his anti-Israel stance.
Mamdani’s record includes introducing the controversial “Not On Our Dime Act,” which aims to prevent New York non-profits from financially supporting organizations tied to Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
Adding fuel to the controversy is Mamdani’s father, Mahmood Mamdani, who has publicly advocated for dismantling the Jewish state. “The Palestinian challenge is to persuade the Jewish population and the world … the longtime security of a Jewish homeland in historic Palestine requires the dismantling of the Jewish state,” he said during a 2014 speech at Columbia University. “Jews can have a homeland in historic Palestine, but not a state.”
The ranked-choice primary is set for June 24, with early voting beginning June 14 and running for nine days.
{Matzav.com}