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New York Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
PA Gov. Josh Shapiro bashes NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani over failure to condemn ‘blatantly antisemitic' extremists
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has ripped New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani for failing to condemn the 'blatantly antisemitic' rhetoric being spewed by his Israel-bashing supporters. 'You have to speak and act with moral clarity, and when supporters of yours say things that are blatantly antisemitic, you can't leave room for that to just sit there,' Shapiro, a fellow Dem, told the Jewish Insider on Wednesday about the socialist state lawmaker. 'You've got to condemn that.' Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Wednesday bashed Zohran Mamdani for failing to condemn the 'blatantly antisemitic' rhetoric being spewed by his Israel-bashing supporters. Getty Images The governor took aim at Mamdani after the lefty firebrand, whose shock mayoral primary win last month has largely divided the party, faced widespread backlash over his anti-Israel commentary. 'He seemed to run a campaign that excited New Yorkers,' Shapiro said. 'He also seemed to run a campaign where he left open far too much space for extremists to either use his words or for him to not condemn the words of extremists that said some blatantly antisemitic things.' Critics have been tearing into Mamdani of late as they accused the progressive frontrunner of being antisemitic over his backing of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel. Mamdani has faced widespread backlash over his past anti-Israel commentary and initial refusal to condemn the 'Globalize the intifada' phrase. James Messerschmidt The Queens assemblyman has maintained that opposing the Zionist state is not antisemitic and insisted that he'd fight against Jew hatred as mayor. Mamdani has also faced widespread backlash for refusing to condemn the 'globalize the intifada' rallying cry seized on by anti-Israel groups. In the wake of his Democratic primary win, Mamdani has said he now discourages people from using the phrase after meeting with Jewish elected officials. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) was among those to rip the mayoral hopeful's controversial comments on the intifada — arguing that he should emphatically 'denounce it' if he wants to rep the Big Apple. 'As a leader of a city as diverse as New York City with 8 million people, as the largest Jewish population in the country, he should denounce it. And that's it. Period,' Gillibrand, a pro-Israel Democrat, told WNYC last month. The criticism from Shapiro comes as Mamdani grapples to secure the overall backing of his party. New York's top three Dem leaders — Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries — have so far refused to say whether they'd endorse the nominee.
The Hill
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Shapiro advises Mamdani to rein in ‘blatantly antisemitic' supporters
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) advised New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani to rein in 'blatantly antisemitic' supporters, according to a new Jewish Insider interview. 'I'll say this about Mamdani or any other leader,' Shapiro said, according to Jewish Insider. 'If you want to lead New York, you want to lead Pennsylvania, you want to lead the United States of America, you're a leader.' 'I don't care if you're a Republican or Democratic leader or a democratic socialist leader,' he added. 'You have to speak and act with moral clarity, and when supporters of yours say things that are blatantly antisemitic, you can't leave room for that to just sit there. You've got to condemn that.' Mamdani, a democratic socialist, recently shocked American political observers with his win over political heavyweight and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary for mayor. He has also faced criticism over remarks he made in which he avoided condemning the phrase 'globalize the intifada' and likened it to the Warsaw ghetto uprising amid the Holocaust. Pro-Palestinian activists have maintained that the phrase only refers to liberation for Palestinians to have the right to their own state and doesn't endorse calls for violence. However, pro-Israel activists and many Jewish people see the phrase as calling for a worldwide uprising to enact violence against Zionists, who back Israel's existence, and Jewish people more broadly. Mamdani has said he would not use the phrase and would dissuade others from using it amid scrutiny over his unwillingness to fully condemn the expression, multiple outlets reported recently.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NYC mayoral candidate draws criticism for ‘globalize the intifada' comparison to Warsaw uprising
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism over remarks he made in which he avoided denouncing the phrase 'globalize the intifada' and compared it to the Warsaw ghetto uprising during the Holocaust. Mamdani appeared for an interview with The Bulwark, released on Tuesday, in which host Tim Miller asked him for his thoughts on the phrase, which has evoked strong emotions on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Many pro-Palestinian activists have said the phrase refers to Palestinians fighting for their own rights and opposing Israeli occupation, while pro-Israel activists and many Jewish people view the phrase as calling for a global uprising to commit violence against Zionists, who support Israel's existence, and Jews more broadly. 'To me, ultimately, what I hear in so many is a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights,' he said in comments first reported by Jewish Insider. 'And I think what's difficult also is that the very word has been used by the Holocaust Museum when translating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising into Arabic, because it's a word that means struggle.' Mamdani seemed to refer to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. But the museum issued a rare statement weighing in on a political issue Wednesday, denouncing Mamdani's comparison. 'Exploiting the Museum and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising to sanitize 'globalize the intifada' is outrageous and especially offensive to survivors,' the museum said in a post on the social platform X. 'Since 1987 Jews have been attacked and murdered under its banner. All leaders must condemn its use and the abuse of history.' 'Intifada' is an Arabic word literally meaning uprising, but many associate it with the first intifada in the 1980s and 1990s and the second intifada in the early 2000s, during which Palestinians in the Palestinian territories and Israel took part in an uprising leading to significant violence in the area. But pro-Palestinian activists maintain they only use the phrase to refer to Palestinian liberation. The Warsaw Ghetto uprising took place during World War II, when Jews in German-occupied Poland pushed back against the Nazis and some escaped. Mamdani responded to the criticism he's faced in comments at a press conference on Wednesday, saying, 'There's no room for antisemitism in this city and this country.' The conference was initially held to announce former mayoral candidate Maya Wiley's endorsement of Mamdani's campaign. 'It pains me to be called an antisemite. It pains me to be painted as I'm somehow in opposition to the very Jewish New Yorkers that I know and love and that are such a key part of this city,' he said. Throughout the campaign, Mamdani has faced criticism over his stances on Israel and accusations of antisemitism over some public statements he's made. He's been a sharp critic of Israel's war in Gaza and was challenged earlier this month over his unwillingness to say definitively that he supports Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. 'I support Israel's right to exist as a state with equal rights,' he said in a local media interview. 'Because I'm not comfortable supporting any state that has a hierarchy of citizenship on the basis of religion or anything else. Equality should be enshrined in every county in the world.' Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is the front-runner in the race, slammed Mamdani for saying the phrase about the intifada is 'subject to interpretation.' He called on all mayoral candidates to denounce the comment. 'That is not only wrong – it is dangerous,' he said in a post on X. 'At a time when we are seeing antisemitism on the rise and in fact witnessing once again violence against Jews resulting in their deaths in Washington DC or their burning in Denver – we know all too well that words matter. They fuel hate. They fuel murder. As the US Holocaust Museum so aptly said, all leaders or those running for office must condemn the use of this battle cry. There are no two sides here.' During the press conference, he also referred to his own status as a Muslim political candidate and messages of hate he's received over it. 'I get messages that say, 'The only good Muslim is a dead Muslim.' I get threats on my life, on the people that I love, and I try not to talk about it,' he said, adding he wants to focus on making the city more affordable and one that 'every New Yorker sees themselves in.' 'The thing that's made me proudest in this campaign is that the strength of our movement is built on our ability to build something across Jewish and Muslim communities, across New Yorkers of all faiths and all backgrounds and all boroughs,' Mamdani said. He addressed attacks he's received from other candidates over this issue, arguing it's been a political tool rather than a genuine attack. 'Antisemitism is such a real issue in this city, and it's been hard to see it weaponized by candidates who do not have any sincere interest in tackling but rather in using it as a pretext to make political points,' he said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Fox News
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Will the 'Big Beautiful Bill' Impact Republican Success at Midterms? Josh Kraushaar Weighs In
Josh Kraushaar, Fox News Radio Political Analyst & Editor-In-Chief of Jewish Insider, joined the Guy Benson Show today to discuss the latest in political news across the country. First, Guy and Josh addressed Zohran Mamdani and why his take on the phrase 'globalize the intifada' encourages violence against Jews. The pair also discussed the passage of Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' and what the impact of the bill will have on Trump's popularity and Republican success at the midterms. Listen to the full interview below! Listen to the full interview below: Listen to the full podcast below:
The Verge
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Verge
Congress has questions about MechaHitler.
Congress has questions about MechaHitler. Jewish Insider reports that a group of mainly Democratic lawmakers are asking xAI about some of the worst messages from Grok's Nazi meltdown, demanding answers about how it happened. As interesting as the answer might be — beyond the changes we already know about — ad-hoc investigation of legal (at least in the US) chatbot speech is probably not a road we want to go down. But the sheer absurd awfulness of the quotes is a pretty striking failure for anybody working on Grok, too.
