Zohran Mamdani says mayors shouldn't 'police speech' when asked to condemn 'globalize the intifada' slogan

NBC News

a day ago

Zohran Mamdani, the presumptive Democratic nominee in New York City's mayoral race, on Sunday again sidestepped an opportunity to condemn the phrase "globalize the intifada," saying that mayors shouldn't "police speech."
"That's not language that I use," Mamdani said when asked if he condemns the phrase, which is widely viewed by Jewish groups as offensive and anti-semitic, on NBC News' "Meet the Press." "The language that I use and the language that I will continue to use to lead the city is that which speaks clearly to my intent, which is an intent grounded in a belief in universal human rights."
Mamdani added, "Ultimately, that's what is the foundation of so much of my politics, the belief that freedom and justice and safety are things that have meaning, have to be applied to all people, and that includes Israelis and Palestinians."
In response to a second direct question from "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker about whether he condemns the phrase, Mamdani said that he's hear from many Jewish New Yorkers who have shared their concerns about the phrase.
"I've heard those fears, and I've had those conversations, and ultimately, they are part and parcel of why in my campaign, I've put forward a commitment to increase funding for anti-hate crime programming by 800%," Mamdani answered, once again demurring on the direct question about condemning the phrase.
"I don't believe that the role of the mayor is to police speech," he added.
Asked why it wouldn't be easier to just condemn the phrase, which many Jewish organizations have condemned and labeled anti-semitic, Mamdani told Welker, "My concern is, to start to walk down the line of language and making clear what language I believe is permissible or impermissible takes me into a place similar to that of the president."
Mamdani pointed to several students, like Rumeysa Öztürk and Mahmoud Khalil, who were detained by the Trump administration earlier this year after they wrote or protested against Israel and in favor of those living in Gaza.
"Ultimately, it's not language that I use, it's language I understand there are concerns about, and what I will do is showcase my vision for the city through my words and my actions," Mamdani added.
Mamdani's refusal to condemn the phrase made headlines in the final days leading up to the Democratic mayoral primary. In an interview with The Bulwark posted on June 17, Mamdani was asked whether the phrase "globalize the intifada" made him uncomfortable.
He responded, saying that it reflects, "a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights."
In the same interview, he called the recent rise in anti-semitism 'a real issue in our city' that the next mayor should focus on "tackling."
Jewish organizations and officials quickly spoke out against the phrase, with Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, writing in a post on X, "Globalize the Intifada is an explicit call for violence. Globalize the Intifada celebrates and glorifies savagery and terror. Globalize the Intifada dishonors the memory of 1,000s slaughtered, tens of 1,000s maimed, and millions traumatized who were targeted simply because of their identities. Globalize the Intifada is not just dangerous. It's an explicit incitement to violence."
In a statement at the time, Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., who represents parts of New York City, blasted Mamdani, saying, "If Mr. Mamdani is unwilling to heed the request of major Jewish organizations to condemn this unquestionably antisemitic phrase, then he is unfit to lead a city with 1.3 million Jews — the largest Jewish population outside of Israel.'
On Saturday, Goldman said in a subsequent statement that he had since met with Mamdani. "I explained why Jewish New Yorkers feel unsafe in the City and that, as he continues this campaign, he must not only condemn anti-Jewish hate and calls for violence, but make clear that as Mayor he would take proactive steps to protect all New Yorkers and make us secure," he said.
'I appreciate Zohran's willingness to reach out to me, to engage, and to listen, and I look forward to continuing the dialogue about our mutual desire to move this City in a positive direction," Goldman added.
Mandani on Sunday also addressed President Donald Trump's comments this week, which included Trump calling the presumptive Democratic mayoral nominee a "communist."
"I can't believe that's happening. That's a terrible thing for our country, by the way. He's a communist," Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday. "We're going to go to a communistic- so that's so bad for New York, but the rest of the country is revolting against it."
On Sunday, Mamdani clarified that "I am not" a communist.
" I have already had to start to get used to, get used to the fact that the president will talk about how I look, how I sound, where I'm from, who I am, ultimately, because he wants to distract from what I'm fighting for, and I'm fighting for the very working people that he ran a campaign to empower, that he has since then betrayed," Mamdani added.