Behind Closed Doors: The Painful Message NY Rabbis Delivered to Mamdani About Antisemitism

New York rabbis met with Mayor Zohran Mamdani and leveled harsh accusations against him amid rising antisemitism. They demanded he soften his criticism of Israel, stop criticizing it altogether, or criticize sensitively while condemning Hamas. Rabbi Jonathan Liner said the mayor's remarks have consequences and raise the temperature. Mamdani, a social democrat, emerged from the pro-Palestinian movement.

New York rabbis recently met with Mayor Zohran Mamdani and leveled harsh accusations regarding rising antisemitism in the area. In the meeting, described as a "closed room," diverse opinions were heard: some Jewish leaders urged the mayor to soften his statements, others asked him to cease criticizing Israel altogether, and some supported his right to criticize but demanded sensitivity and consistent condemnation of Hamas. Rabbi Jonathan Liner, a leader of a modern Orthodox community in Brooklyn, said: "We didn't tiptoe around the elephant in the room," adding that the mayor's remarks have consequences and raise the temperature. Mamdani, a social democrat serving as New York's first Muslim mayor, emerged from the pro-Palestinian movement, founded a chapter of "Students for Justice in Palestine," and led a campaign to boycott Israel. The article notes that Mamdani's relationship with the Jewish community must change.