Jewish Democrat lawmakers on Capitol Hill are sounding the alarm on Democratic Socialist New York City Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, pointing to his refusal to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada” or recognize Israel as a Jewish state, especially at a time when antisemitism is on the rise in the United States.
“To not be willing to condemn the term ‘globalize the intifada,’ it just demonstrates his callous disregard for antisemitism, terrorist activity,” Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) said, according to a report by the Hill.
“Anyone that I care about couldn’t possibly distance themselves from him more,” Wasserman Schultz, the first Jewish woman elected to represent Florida in Congress, added. “It’s really terribly disturbing and potentially dangerous.”
A source familiar with conversations transpiring about Mamdani told the outlet that the self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist’s ascent in politics has been a topic of discussion among a group of Democrats lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
In addition to failing to denounce the saying “globalize the intifada” or agreeing that Israel is a Jewish state, Mamdani has also supported the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and accused Israel of an apartheid after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, terrorist attack.
“When you have a prominent candidate who is giving permission to use dangerous rhetoric that potentially incites violence and incites people and creates a permission structure to fan the flames of violence? That’s just completely unacceptable,” Wasserman Schultz said.
“And how he doesn’t understand that shows me that he isn’t ready for prime time,” the Democrat congresswoman added.
Fellow Jewish Democrat lawmaker Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) reportedly surmised that Mamdani is “either ignoring or gaslighting the public” when he said the phrase “globalize the intifada” is “a peaceful call.”
“I think he’s wrong on all those things,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) echoed of Mamdani. “If he can’t tell people ‘globalizing the intifada’ — if he can’t say that that’s antisemitic, then obviously he’s going to continue to add to the problem, not deflate it.”
Mamdani, a Muslim who was born in Uganda, faced backlash in New York City last month when he appeared on The Bulwark’s podcast, where he refused to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which is widely seen as advocating for violence against Israel.
After that, the 33-year-old Mayoral candidate appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press, where he again refused to condemn the phrase after host Kristen Welker asked him about it three times.
Mamdani can’t even bring himself to say that Israel is a Jewish state.
When asked if that is his stance during the Democratic primary mayoral debate, Mamdani replied, “I believe Israel has the right to exist,” adding, “as a state with equal rights” after he was pressed to be more specific.
Despite the backlash, the Democratic Socialist has not changed his talking points, as he later doubled down on his opinion in an interview with Good Day New York.
“It’s a huge problem,” Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) said of Mamdani’s views. “It is happening in the context of a violent surge in antisemitism.”
“Two Jews murdered here in Washington, D.C., at an event that some of us would have gone to had we not been voting, and then in Boulder, where Jews were set on fire. And now this,” Landsman added. “It’s definitely something that we’re worried about.”
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
