Hundreds of Rabbis Warn About Mamdani

Zohran Mamdani, 34, a progressive former state assembly member, is the Democratic front‑runner in the 2025 New York City mayoral race with a sustained double‑digit lead. His outspoken criticism of Israel—including calling actions in Gaza genocide (citing a UN finding) and at times declining to explicitly condemn the slogan “globalize the intifada”—has prompted widespread alarm and led hundreds of rabbis nationwide to sign an open letter denouncing his rhetoric as dangerous. Prominent New York rabbis such as Elliot Cosgrove, Joshua Davidson and David Gelfand have warned a Mamdani mayoralty could jeopardize Jewish safety and urged community mobilization. Mamdani denies fomenting antisemitism, says he supports Israel’s right to exist (though not as a Jewish state), and has pledged to fight antisemitism if elected, proposing a large increase in funding for hate‑crime prevention while saying he will discourage the “globalize the intifada” slogan. The contest has drawn national attention, with former President Trump deriding Mamdani as a “communist,” even as Mamdani continues outreach to diverse voters including Indian‑American communities during Diwali temple visits where he criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi and emphasized pluralism.