Hundreds of rabbis call NYC mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani's Israel rhetoric 'dangerous'

[RandySF]

Nearly 800 rabbis from across the nation released an open letter Wednesday condemning what they see as Democratic NYC mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani’s “dangerous” rhetoric about Israel and Zionism.

The 788 signatories, most from outside New York, included a number of prominent New York City rabbis such as Joshua Davidson of Temple Emanu-El and David Gelfand of Temple Israel. The rabbis argued in the letter that Mamdani has fueled antisemitism by accusing Israel of committing a genocide in Gaza and, for a time, declining to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada.” Mamdani has also said he supports Israel’s right to exist, but not exclusively as a Jewish state.

“We call on all Americans who value peace and equality to participate fully in the democratic process in order to stand up for candidates who reject antisemitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric, and who affirm Israel’s right to exist in peace and security,” the rabbis wrote in the letter, which was organized by the Jewish Majority, a group headed by Jonathan Schulman, a top executive at the conservative-leaning American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

“We also call on our interfaith and communal partners to stand with the Jewish community in rejecting this dangerous rhetoric and to affirm the rights of Jews to live securely and with dignity,” the rabbis added.


https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/10/22/hundreds-of-rabbis-call-nyc-mayoral-nominee-zohran-mamdanis-israel-rhetoric-dangerous/