Zohran Mamdani’s Family Ties Highlight Radical Palestinian Activism Amid NYC Mayoral Race

Haidar Eid, a Palestinian academic and refugee from Gaza, has documented the ongoing oppression and what he terms an "incremental genocide" against Palestinians through his writings, drawing parallels with South Africa's apartheid experience. Over the past 20 months, pro-Palestinian voices in the United States have faced significant censorship and political pressure, exemplified by the Trump administration's sanctions against UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese for exposing corporate complicity in Israel's occupation economy. Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, and his father Mahmood Mamdani, a Columbia University professor, have longstanding ties to pro-Palestinian activism; Zohran co-founded a Students for Justice in Palestine chapter and advocated academic boycotts of Israeli institutions, while Mahmood has openly expressed radical anti-Israel views on social media and supports resistance against Israeli policies. These familial connections and public stances have sparked controversy and drawn criticism, particularly from Jewish organizations concerned about perceived endorsements of violence and anti-Israel rhetoric. The coverage highlights the interplay between academic activism, political candidacy, and broader debates over free speech and advocacy related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict within the U.S. political and social landscape.