Meeting in the Works Between Mayor-Elect and ADL CEO
Joe Scarborough, the left-handed MSNBC anchor, has said that he’s trying to set up a meeting between Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani and Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League. This comes after accusations that Mamdani, who has been labeled an anti-Israel socialist, was unwilling to collaborate with the ADL.
The announcement was made during a breakfast session with reporters on Wednesday, shortly after a tense exchange on-air with Greenblatt. The ADL chief had accused Mamdani of promising not to partner with the organization to address anti-Semitism, according to reports.
During the discussion, Scarborough pushed back, arguing that Greenblatt was “obscuring and distorting” his views on Mamdani, despite the latter being openly critical of Israel—he’s even avoided stating that Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state.
“Jonathan, there’s a lot of blurring and blending going on here,” Scarborough responded. “And, well, I care about you, you know that. We’re always your biggest supporters. But it feels like you’re mixing things up…”
Greenblatt acknowledged that Mamdani is trying to connect with the Jewish community in New York City and that several Jewish individuals are involved in his campaign. However, he also noted that he hasn’t seen meaningful engagement from Mamdani with “the largest organization representing Jewish New Yorkers.” He commented that a synagogue visited by Mamdani was described as “anti-Zionist,” likening it to attending a CPAC event and claiming to fully understand the Black community.
Scarborough suggested on-air that he and Mamdani should have lunch together and consider involving Rev. Al Sharpton to help facilitate this meeting.
“I’m open to these discussions, even the challenging ones,” Greenblatt replied. “My role is to ensure the safety of our community.” He then clarified that he wasn’t accusing Mamdani of outright rejecting concerns regarding anti-Semitic attacks.
“I just want to ensure he’s not fostering an environment where Jews feel endangered. We can’t have a global intifada becoming a catchphrase,” he emphasized.
On the same day, Greenblatt announced the launch of the Mamdani Monitor, which aims to scrutinize the backgrounds of Mamdani’s appointees and the funding sources of his organization to see if there’s any hostility toward Jews.
Additionally, the ADL will be establishing a “New York City Anti-Semitism Tip Line” as incidents of anti-Semitism have surged following the recent Hamas-Israel conflict in Gaza.
In his victory speech delivered Thursday evening, Mamdani assured his supporters that he would “stand with Jewish New Yorkers and create a City Hall that remains committed to combating anti-Semitism.”
Other Jewish organizations that were concerned about Mamdani’s win, like the New York Solidarity Network and the UJA Federation, have also issued statements pledging to combat anti-Jewish sentiment within city governance.
