Leading rabbis in New York City have raised alarms about the implications of Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s election, suggesting that his stance on Israel could “seriously jeopardize the safety of Jews across the city.”
Rabbi Amiel Hirsch expressed his concerns during a passionate sermon at the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue on the Upper West Side, emphasizing the dangers of extremism.
He described Mamdani’s opposition to Israel as “existential.”
Hirsch stated, “He thinks Israel has no right to exist as a Jewish state anywhere.”
The president of the New York State Board of Rabbis noted that he and several other prominent and liberal rabbis met with Mamdani back in August, entering with open minds. Yet, they left the meeting with increasing worry about his views on Israel.
As the meeting progressed, Hirsch recalled feeling a “steadily darkening” mood among the rabbis.
“And our fear grew.”
Mamdani, who previously led a controversial student chapter of Justice for Palestine during his university years, has been deemed a “dogmatic opponent” of Zionism by Hirsch.
The rabbi, who immigrated to Israel as a teenager and served in the Israel Defense Forces, asserted, “He’s not merely criticizing Israel.” He continued, “He does not believe in coexistence or ‘two nations for two peoples.'”
Despite facing ongoing allegations of anti-Semitism, Mamdani—a 34-year-old Muslim immigrant and supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement—secured his position with substantial support from one-third of the city’s Jewish voters, according to exit polls.
Hirsch noted that Mamdani has consistently refused to denounce the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which many perceive as advocating violence, suggesting alignment with extremist viewpoints similar to those of groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, and their backer Iran.
During the August meeting, concerns about security were raised, with the group voicing fears for the safety of New York’s Jewish community should Mamdani take office.
The rabbi cautioned that just having an increased police presence wouldn’t suffice; what was needed was a genuinely safe environment.
“We could have 50 police officers outside this building. If the overall atmosphere was hostile to Jews, the safety of Jews everywhere in the city would be seriously threatened every day,” Hirsch asserted to the congregation.
He further stated, “And history has conclusively proven that what begins with Jews never ends with Jews. The cities themselves will become meaner and more violent.”
Hirsch concluded, “And that is the main threat from anti-Zionism driven by Zoran Mamdani’s ideology.”
Congregant Ronen Schwartzman expressed pride in the rabbis for addressing the issue, noting that their stance on Israel starkly contrasts with parts of the Reform movement.
In a similar vein, some urban Jewish activists have rallied behind the rabbi’s remarks, suggesting that such bravery is necessary for Jewish leadership.
Mamdani’s campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
