Shortly after Zoran Mamdani’s election as New York City mayor, he received a text from his new number—his first connection as mayor. Given the circumstances—an intense protest outside my father’s synagogue—I felt it was important to reach out. What transpired that evening was more than just debate; it was a chilling act of intimidation aimed at Jews, specifically at the entrances of places of worship.
That conversation set the stage for a continuing dialogue. We discussed important questions: Where should the boundaries be for New York City? How can we ensure the safety of our places of worship? What does true leadership entail when fear infiltrates our communities? Since then, we’ve maintained regular contact.
The divide in our viewpoints was evident. For me, it’s essential that he acknowledges Israel’s existence as a Jewish state. His past comments, which have included terms like “apartheid” and “genocide,” put New York’s Jewish population in jeopardy. I emphasized to him, as I do with every Muslim leader I know, that anti-Zionism equates to anti-Semitism.
I urged Mayor Mamdani to pursue legislation prohibiting protests in front of worship sites, not to silence free speech, but to draw a clear line between the right to demonstrate and the right to pray peacefully. To his credit, he listened. Our discussions garnered tangible policy advancements. For instance, Mamdani issued a second executive order instructing the police commissioner and the Department of Justice to assess NYPD patrols to enhance protections for places of worship. This order proposed creating buffer zones of 40 to 60 meters from entrances of synagogues, churches, and mosques, alongside heightened restrictions during religious services.
This marked significant progress; the mayor recognized that protests targeting houses of worship have overstepped their bounds.
When pro-Hamas demonstrations were slated for Queens, the mayor acted swiftly. Before protests could escalate, he deployed numerous NYPD officers in the area to protect nearby synagogues and Jewish families. This showed that accountability and disagreement can coexist. In a statement, Mayor Mamdani declared that “speech that supports terrorist organizations has no place in our city.”
In my view, this statement acknowledged that prior rhetoric and threats associated with protests, including ones he attended, were misguided. To say such slogans have “no place on the streets” recognizes how hate speech can escalate into violence towards Jewish New Yorkers.
However, some progressive activists have criticized Mayor Mamdani and other leaders for denouncing the chant, and it may impose a political cost on him. This situation should concern every New Yorker—rejecting terrorism and anti-Semitism should never be controversial in America.
That said, a sense of gratitude doesn’t erase my disagreements with him. Mamdani is making strides, and he is now collaborating with Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is proposing legislation to prevent protesters from getting within “25 feet of a house of worship.”
True leadership involves not just speaking the right words, but doing so consistently and taking action.
It might be overly optimistic to think it, but perhaps the mayor’s perspective on Israel and its implications for New York’s Jewish community—a community that is the largest outside Israel—could be shifting. As I noted during the High Holy Days, significant change requires not only intention but also repentance and transformation.
The next step is for Mayor Mamdani to join me in New York, engaging with global Muslim leaders I’ve known for years. These leaders represent Arab and Muslim-majority nations, and while they may not agree with everything the Israeli government does, they universally acknowledge Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state. Their voices promote coexistence, not incitement.
Now, as the mayor representing all New Yorkers, he must recognize that Israel is central to the Jewish faith; these two cannot be seen as separate entities.
