The academic father of anti-Zionist Mayor Mamdani has criticized Columbia University’s Anti-Semitism Task Force, calling it a “prosecutorial body” and likening it to the divisive tactics used by British colonizers, according to reports.
Mahmoud Mamdani, a professor in Columbia’s anthropology department, reconsidered his statements during a University Senate meeting last month after a controversial report surfaced about anti-Semitism at Ivy League institutions. At the Dec. 12 Zoom meeting, he made it clear he perceived the task force as a prosecutorial entity rather than one representing community interests.
Mamdani, who teaches about colonialism and decolonization, also critiqued the university-led initiatives as having significant “shortcomings.” He suggested that forming a committee exclusively to address anti-Semitism might itself be discriminatory.
“In my study of colonial history, this aligns with what we term divide and conquer,” he explained during the meeting. He described how British colonial strategies would set distinct groups against each other, ultimately leading to a fragmented society.
Interestingly, he acknowledged that he hadn’t yet reviewed the final report but expressed hope it would lead to the dissolution of the task force created post-October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks to combat widespread anti-Semitism on campus.
“At this juncture, it seems like this chapter could come to a close,” he mentioned, suggesting that an anti-discrimination task force could act as a healing mechanism by allowing diverse perspectives to be represented.
Mamdani stressed that universities should not engage in divisive practices. A meeting attendee confirmed that he made these statements.
The final report, released in December, detailed shocking instances of professors using classrooms to express anti-Israel sentiments and outlined harassment faced by Columbia’s Jewish community.
Some students expressed that they were unsurprised by Mamdani’s negative reaction to the report. One student noted that if anyone was shocked by Zoran Mamdani’s recent tweet deletion related to the anti-Semitism report, they shouldn’t have been given his father’s stance on the anti-Semitism task force.
Graduate student Sam Nahins remarked on Mamdani’s history of controversial comparisons, stating, “It’s not unexpected for someone who equates Lincoln with Hitler to claim that the Anti-Semitism Task Force mirrors British colonialism.” He added a rhetorical note about who else Mamdani might compare historical figures with, hinting at the absurdity of such comparisons.
