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Telegraph
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Zohran Mamdani isn't as clever as he thinks
A bizarre obsession with the Palestinian issue continues to poison progressive politics – including (surprise!) the campaign of Zohran Mamdani. The Democratic nominee for New York's mayoral race has refused to condemn the phrase 'globalise the intifada', despite sharp criticism from fellow Democrats. The phrase, seen by many as a call for violence against Jews, is actually 'a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights,' said Mamdani, not long before his surprising win. Then, this past weekend, he again declined to decry the phrase. Instead, he meekly noted 'that's not language that I use,' on the news show Meet the Press, before adding that he would serve as a mayor 'that protects Jewish New Yorkers' if ultimately elected in November. Mamdani's equivocations are hardly surprising. Presumably he thinks he's being clever by attempting to reassure Jewish voters, while signalling a quiet approval for some of the darkest rhetoric of the Palestinian cause. But he has actually exposed how sinister his campaign really is. He's made championing Palestinian nationalism a cornerstone of his political career – despite (beyond his Muslim faith) having very little in common with most Palestinians. The son of an Oscar-nominated film-maker mother and university professor father, Mamdani – like so many who voted for him last week – is the product of privilege, with scant experience in politics or holding a job, let alone of real 'oppression'. He exists in a world of feelings and vibes – in place of consequence or facts. And Mamdani has given every indication of believing that calling for 'intifada' – despite its clear association with bus bombings, knife attacks and thousands of Jewish dead (it means uprising in Arabic and is used to refer to two periods of Palestinian violence against Israelis) – is legitimate political discourse. The investor Bill Ackman – who helped take down former Harvard president Claudine Gay – took to X on Monday to ask: 'What if someone called for the killing or suicide bombings of those of a different ethnic background, Zohran, would you not be willing to condemn such a call to violent action? Or is it just for the Jews that you remain silent?' House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries joined the attack, saying Mamdani would 'have to clarify his position on that as he moves forward,' during a weekend appearance on ABC's This Week. 'Globalising the intifada, by way of example, is not an acceptable phrasing.' Both Ackman and Jeffries could not be more correct. That too many progressives accept effective calls for violence against Jews that they would never tolerate for other ethnicities is not just limited to phrases like 'globalise the intifada'. The double-standard reflects the entire pro-Palestinian movement since the Hamas attack on Israel two Octobers ago. The violent encampments in cities like New York, the wide-scale property damage and, now, the numerous deaths in the United States directly attributed to anti-Semitism somehow avoid the type of critique heaped upon even the most minor affronts against, say, African-Americans or sexual minorities. In 2020, recall that New York Times opinion editor James Bennet resigned after the paper published an op-ed by Republican Senator Tom Cotton that some black staffers felt made them unsafe, merely because it suggested calling in the National Guard during the height of the Black Lives Matter protests. Mamdani, meanwhile, continues to campaign as the Democrat nominee despite refusing to condemn a phrase that Jews rightly perceive as a call for their murder. Will Mamdani eventually clarify his position? Don't hold your breath. Like so many on the extreme-Left, Mamdani exists within a bubble of impunity that ascribes negative motives to anyone who criticises its stances. Question the morality of phrases like 'intifada', goes the thinking, and you're a 'Zionist' whose opinion can be safely discounted. Malicious equivocation is also a veritable party trick for Mamdani. He has refused to say that he supports Israel's right to exist as a Jewish nation. He's said he supports its right to exist 'as a state with equal rights'. But he has added that 'I'm not comfortable supporting any state that has a hierarchy of citizenship on the basis of religion or anything else'. We've heard this all before – including from Mamdani's own mother, director Mira Nair, who in 2013 refused to participate in the Haifa International Film festival, saying she would 'go to Israel when the state does not privilege one religion over another'. They conveniently ignore the Muslims and people of other faiths who do, in fact, enjoy equal rights in Israel. Perhaps I've also missed their criticism of the numerous nations that actually do oppress minority religions – either in practice or in law. Saudi Arabia prohibits the public worship of any religion other than Islam. Across much of the Middle East, countries once known for their religious diversity are no longer safe for Jews or Christians. Why are the likes of Mamdani allowed by their interviewers to get away with it? However overwhelmed and underprepared they are, they must know that they are not dealing with normal politicians, but radicals for whom the obsession with Israel has become almost a pathology. Many New York voters – including my fellow New York Jews – have failed to see through Mamdani. But now he has to win over the wider New York electorate, not just the Democratic base. Let's hope that we don't have to wait for him to put his agenda into practice before everyone wakes up to the truth.
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Zohran Mamdani takes dramatic step to become next NYC mayor
Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old self-described Democratic socialist who has called himself 'Trump's worst nightmare,' has claimed victory in the primary for the New York City mayor's race. Mamdani - a state legislator - took down ex-Governor Andrew Cuomo and several other candidates in the primary, the results of which won't be officially confirmed until July 1 due to the city's ranked choice voting system. It's a shock victory for a firebrand lefty who has won the backing of progressive Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders — says he wants to tax the wealthy and dole out free childcare and bus rides and cheaper groceries and rents. His campaign has pushed populist ideas like free public buses, rent freezes for rent-stabilized apartments, and grocery stores that would be owned by the city. In a televised debate before the primary, he said he would 'fight back' against the Republican president. 'I am Donald Trump 's worst nightmare, as a progressive, Muslim immigrant who actually fights for the things I believe in,' he said. In his victory speech given late Tuesday night and attended by lefty celebrities like actress Cynthia Nixon, actor Kal Penn and Kamala Harris' stepdaughter Ella Emhoff, he referred to Trump as a fascist to cheers from the crowd. 'We have won because New Yorkers have stood up for a city that they can afford. A city where they can do more than just struggle. And it is where the mayor will use their power to reject Donald Trump's fascism,' he said. Mamdani appeared to receive praise from both the progressive and moderate wings of the Democrat Party. Longtime leftist icon Sanders wrote: 'Congratulations to Zohran Mamdani and his thousands of grassroots supporters for their extraordinary campaign. You took on the political, economic and media Establishment- and you beat them. Now it's on to victory in the general election.' Ocasio-Cortez, whose own victory seven years ago similarly shook the Democrat establishment, also congratulated him. 'Congratulations, @ZohranKMamdani. Your dedication to an affordable, welcoming, and safe New York City where working families can have a shot has inspired people across the city. Billionaires and lobbyists poured millions against you and our public finance system. And you won.' Even Kathy Hochul, New York's governor who attempts to position herself as moderate, gave kudos to the presumptive nominee, suggesting the very establishment Mamdani railed against may be willing to work with him. 'Today, voters made their voices heard, demanding a more affordable, more livable New York City. I hear them loud and clear. @ZohranKMamdani built a formidable grassroots coalition, and I look forward to speaking with him in the days ahead about his ideas on how to ensure a safe, affordable, and livable New York City.' The Republican Party wasted no time in attempting to tie him to a liberal faction of the opposition that is speeding out of control. Elise Stefanik, a key Trump ally who has hinted at running against Hochul for governor, said her 'stomach is in knots' over Mamdani's victory. 'The idea that a self-avowed socialist and Hamas Terrorist sympathizer like Mamdani could become the next mayor of New York City truly makes me sick.' Trump supporter and Cuomo donor Bill Ackman - who has fought hard against campus anti-Semitism - begged Democrats to coalesce around a centrist who could beat him. Before the election, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis celebrated a potential windfall for his state if Mamdani won. 'Just when you thought Palm Beach real estate couldn't go any higher,' he joked, noting how many New Yorkers have flocked to Florida. Mamdani's opponents in the general would include Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, who took the Republican nomination unopposed; Eric Adams, who skipped the Democrat primary to run independently; and even potentially Cuomo again, who could also run as an independent. In a statement to Sliwa painted Mamdani as dangerous for the future of New York 'Zohran Mamdani is too extreme for a city already on edge. This race is not over. I'm not part of the political class. I've spent my life fighting for New Yorkers in every borough,' he said. 'I'm running to be the People's Mayor because I'm the only one who can make this city safe and affordable for those who feel one paycheck away from being pushed out. I'm ready to be your next Mayor to move this forward for us.' Eric Adams, who skipped the primary over his frustrations with the party and is running as an independent to retain his title, slammed Mamdani's inexperience. 'What NYC deserves is a mayor who's proud to run on his record—not one who ran from his record, or one who has no record. We deserve a mayor who will keep driving down crime, support our police, fight antisemitism, and stand up for working-class New Yorkers. It's time to unite.'
