More than 700 rabbis are demanding an apology from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani after he called the American Israel Public Affairs Committee “monsters” during a campaign rally.
The rabbis warned that Mamdani’s remarks demonized pro-Israel civic participation and placed Jewish Americans and their allies at greater risk during a time of rising anti-Semitism.
By David Lindfield
Mamdani made the comments during a June 18 rally ahead of New York City’s Democratic primaries.
He accused AIPAC of using “millions in dark money to accomplish a single goal — to preserve their power, so that they can turn us against one another.”
The remarks triggered immediate backlash from Jewish leaders, including hundreds of rabbis from New York and across the country.
They warn that the comments are contributing to the “dehumanization” of Jewish Americans.
Rabbis Warn Mamdani’s Rhetoric Endangers Jews
The letter, signed by the rabbis, said its signatories represent congregations with differing views on Israel, American politics, and the war in Gaza.
However, they said Mamdani crossed a clear line by portraying support for Israel as sinister and anti-democratic.
“By casting pro-Israel civic participation as monstrous, conspiratorial, and anti-democratic, Mr. Mamdani has put a target on the backs of American Jews and their allies,” the letter states.
The rabbis said Mamdani’s words carry particular weight because he leads the city with the largest Jewish population outside Israel.
“Mr. Mamdani’s words matter because they were spoken by the leader of the city with the largest Jewish population outside Israel,” the letter reads.
“They matter because antisemitism in America is rising.”
The rabbis called the comments “beneath the office he holds.”
Mamdani Defends Attack on AIPAC
Mamdani defended his remarks on Monday while answering questions after signing an executive order.
“We’re talking about a status quo where children are being killed on a daily basis,” Mamdani said in response to criticism of his comments.
“And when I am speaking about AIPAC, I’m speaking about an organization that has been supportive of the status quo, that has fought any attempt to actually deliver safety to people, not just in Palestine, but frankly, through much of the region.
“And it is a status quo for immorality.
“It is one that I will not accept,” he added.
Mamdani also defended his use of the word “monsters,” saying he was quoting philosopher Antonio Gramsci.
“I used the term to describe all those who are preventing the birth of a new world,” Mamdani said.
“Not solely AIPAC, but frankly, super PACs at large who are spending millions of dollars in deceptive and misleading ads that are blanketing the airwaves.”
Jewish Leaders Condemn Mamdani’s Comments
Mamdani’s remarks also drew condemnation from Jewish leaders outside the group of rabbis who signed the letter.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) said the mayor’s rhetoric echoed old antisemitic conspiracy theories.
“Swap ‘AIPAC’ for ‘Jews’ and it’s the oldest antisemitic conspiracy theory in the books,” Gottheimer wrote on X.
“That’s not criticizing a lobby.
“That’s laundering antisemitism from your podium as Mayor of a city with more than a million Jews.
“This bullsh*t is dangerous.”
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called Mamdani’s comments “prejudice” and described them as “deliberate, dangerous, and disgraceful.”
“This is the kind of bigoted conspiracy mongering that you expect from unhinged streamers or white supremacists,” Greenblatt wrote.
“It’s not the language that we should expect from the mayor whose jurisdiction suffers from the highest levels of antisemitism of any city in America.”
The rabbis ended their letter by calling on Mamdani to apologize, retract his comments, and publicly affirm that Jews and pro-Israel Americans have full standing in American public life.
“We can debate policy.
“We can argue about money in politics.
“We can disagree passionately about Israel and the Middle East.
“But no elected leader should demonize Jews or those who stand with the Jewish state.
“Criticizing Israeli policy is not antisemitic.
“Treating millions of Zionist Jews as morally suspect, politically illegitimate, or less deserving of equal participation in public life is.”
The backlash adds to growing scrutiny of Mamdani’s anti-Israel politics as Jewish leaders warn that rhetoric from elected officials can fuel real-world hostility toward Jewish communities.
Source
Author: David Lindfield
Publisher: Slay News