- Benjamin Netanyahu criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani after Mamdani stated in a video that Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City.
- In response, Mamdani emphasized that there's no room for hate or bigotry of any kind in the city, highlighting the need to combat antisemitism.
- Jewish New Yorkers rallied on Manhattan's Upper West Side against antisemitism following a recent stabbing incident involving a Jewish man and an Asian man.
- Raul Morales has been charged with two counts of second-degree attempted murder as a hate crime in connection with the stabbing incident.
- Lizzy Savetsky and others have criticized Mamdani, claiming he is fueling antisemitism with his statements.
- Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss defended Mamdani, stating that he is clarifying that opposition to Zionism is not opposition to Judaism.
- Kyle Kuzma criticized Mamdani on social media, referring to him as a 'mayor playing president'.
- Mamdani noted that New York City lacks independent legal authority to enforce the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant and urged the federal government to take action.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has come under fire from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after a video surfaced in which Mamdani declared, "Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City." This statement was made amid rising tensions and a rally against antisemitism following violent attacks on Jewish and Asian individuals in the city.1
Mamdani defended his remarks, stating, "I would say first and foremost there's no tolerance for antisemitism in this city. We have to root out antisemitism from across the five boroughs... never of a people, never of a faith." His comments were made in the context of a broader discussion about the need to separate criticism of Israel from antisemitism, emphasizing that "there's no room for hate or bigotry of any kind."2
The backlash included accusations from critics like Lizzy Savetsky, who labeled the video as "inciteful, inciting violence," and others who claimed Mamdani was "throwing gasoline on the fire, pitting one community against the other." Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss of Jews United Against Zionism defended Mamdani, arguing that his stance clarifies that opposition to Israel's policies does not equate to hatred of Judaism.56
Mamdani's video has garnered significant attention, surpassing 80 million views on X, highlighting the intense public interest in the intersection of politics, identity, and community relations in New York City.
“Mamdani's video has surpassed 80 million views on X, and he reiterated that criticism of a nation state is not criticism of a people. Meanwhile, Kyle Kuzma appeared to shade Mamdani, calling him a 'mayor playing president,' drawing a sharp retort from a user who said Kuzma was 'cosplaying as a basketball player.'”
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