Berl Falbaum
It may not be shocking, given his history, but it is surprising how quickly New York’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, launched his anti-Jewish, anti-Israel — I struggled whether to include “antisemitic” — agenda.
Within 24 hours after being inaugurated, he revoked two executive orders signed by his predecessor, Eric Adams, which (1) protected Jews from antisemitic hate speech, and (2) banned city departments from joining the boycott, divestiture and sanction (BDS) movement designed to cripple Israel economically.
With the first action, Mamdani revoked a definition of antisemitism to match the one adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).
It was adopted by the IHRA Plenary in 2016 in Bucharest, Romania, by 31 countries, and subsequently by the European Parliament and other national and international bodies.
The text, which is accompanied by 11 examples of antisemitism, reads:
“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
Mamdani’s administration gave no reason for the revocation or what, if anything, might replace it.
The objective of BDS is to promote boycotts of Israeli goods, divesture of investments in Israel, and levying sanctions against the Jewish state.
No surprise here either because Mamdani has been a proponent of BDS since his college days.
In defense of BDS, Mamdani said: “I think it is legitimate movement when you are seeking to find compliance with international law and I think we have seen the Israel government out of compliance with international law.”
In line with his support of BDS, Mamdani is clashing with the city’s new comptroller, Mark Levine, who wants to resume buying Israel bonds, which the mayor opposes.
“Israeli bonds had been part of the portfolio for decades,” said Levine, who is Jewish and endorsed Mamdani in the primary.
“Israel has never missed a bond payment, and a good, balanced portfolio should have global diversity,” said Levine.
New York has invested in Israel bonds since the 1970s until the previous comptroller ended the practice to avoid “foreign sovereign debt.”
The comptroller (an elected position) is the city’s chief fiscal officer, responsible for auditing agencies and nonprofits, approving contracts and managing pension funds. The trustees of the city’s five pension funds have final authority over investment decisions and are appointed by the comptroller, the mayor, and the unions representing city workers.
Mamdani does not have the power to overrule the comptroller, although he can use his position to apply political pressure.
But even before being sworn in, as mayor-elect he announced the appointment of Ramzi Kassem, as the city’s top attorney.
Among his credentials: He defended Al-Qaeda terrorist Ahmed al-Darbi in court, and represented anti-Israel activist and Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil who was charged with leading antisemitic demonstrations on campus.
Kassem also headed the Creating Law Enforcement Accountability and Responsibility (CLEAR) legal clinic at the CUNY Law School, which has advised some of the most hardline anti-Zionist activist groups in New York.
Also, while still mayor-elect, he named Catherine Almonte Da Costa to be director of appointments. She had to resign quickly after the discovery of ugly antisemitic slurs she posted about a decade earlier on the Internet.
The social media posts included the following:
“Money hungry Jews smh [shaking my head].”
“Far Rockaway train is the Jew train.”
Mamdani officials said the mayor was unaware of the posts. They apparently slipped by the vetting process.
That is hard to accept given he must have had a political relationship with her to name her to a top spot in his administration. But, if true, it does not speak well of the vetting process.
Incidentally, her husband, Ricky Da Costa, is Jewish (deputy city comptroller) and she said they are raising her children as Jews. (No, I don’t understand it either). In her resignation, she apologized for the posts.
In the campaign, Mamdani refused to state that Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state. He would not condemn the slogan, “globalize the intifada.”
Asked on “Meet the Press” why he would not denounce that phrase, Mamdani said he does not want to “police speech.” No one was asking him to police speech. He could defend hate speech as a constitutional right (hardly a benevolent policy) while denouncing it.
On October 8, 2023, one day after the most violent slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust, he rebuked Israel for “occupation and apartheid,” without a mention of Hamas, the terrorist organization that committed the butchery.
Just six days after the attack, Mamdani and his supporters held a rally outside then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s house “to speak out against the indiscriminate killing of Palestinians as we sit on the brink of a genocide.” (Schumer is Jewish).
Mamdani was one of five state lawmakers who refused to sign two resolutions, one condemning the Holocaust and the other honoring Israel.
He has repeatedly accused Israel of “genocide” and pledged, if elected mayor, to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if the Israeli leader were to visit New York.
And he reassured his supporters after his victory in the primary that he would not “abandon my beliefs” about “what happens overseas [read Israel].”
Now, to put all this in perspective: Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City which has the highest population of Jews outside of Israel (about 1.4 million). Its Jewish population is larger than in Jerusalem which has just under one million.
They make up 10-15 percent of New York City’s electorate. Also, 13,000 Holocaust survivors live in the eight-county area, 92 percent of them in New York.
Here is the kicker: In the general election, he received 33 percent of the Jewish vote — 66,000 votes.
Someone please explain that to me.
Within 24 hours after being inaugurated, he revoked two executive orders signed by his predecessor, Eric Adams, which (1) protected Jews from antisemitic hate speech, and (2) banned city departments from joining the boycott, divestiture and sanction (BDS) movement designed to cripple Israel economically.
With the first action, Mamdani revoked a definition of antisemitism to match the one adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).
It was adopted by the IHRA Plenary in 2016 in Bucharest, Romania, by 31 countries, and subsequently by the European Parliament and other national and international bodies.
The text, which is accompanied by 11 examples of antisemitism, reads:
“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
Mamdani’s administration gave no reason for the revocation or what, if anything, might replace it.
The objective of BDS is to promote boycotts of Israeli goods, divesture of investments in Israel, and levying sanctions against the Jewish state.
No surprise here either because Mamdani has been a proponent of BDS since his college days.
In defense of BDS, Mamdani said: “I think it is legitimate movement when you are seeking to find compliance with international law and I think we have seen the Israel government out of compliance with international law.”
In line with his support of BDS, Mamdani is clashing with the city’s new comptroller, Mark Levine, who wants to resume buying Israel bonds, which the mayor opposes.
“Israeli bonds had been part of the portfolio for decades,” said Levine, who is Jewish and endorsed Mamdani in the primary.
“Israel has never missed a bond payment, and a good, balanced portfolio should have global diversity,” said Levine.
New York has invested in Israel bonds since the 1970s until the previous comptroller ended the practice to avoid “foreign sovereign debt.”
The comptroller (an elected position) is the city’s chief fiscal officer, responsible for auditing agencies and nonprofits, approving contracts and managing pension funds. The trustees of the city’s five pension funds have final authority over investment decisions and are appointed by the comptroller, the mayor, and the unions representing city workers.
Mamdani does not have the power to overrule the comptroller, although he can use his position to apply political pressure.
But even before being sworn in, as mayor-elect he announced the appointment of Ramzi Kassem, as the city’s top attorney.
Among his credentials: He defended Al-Qaeda terrorist Ahmed al-Darbi in court, and represented anti-Israel activist and Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil who was charged with leading antisemitic demonstrations on campus.
Kassem also headed the Creating Law Enforcement Accountability and Responsibility (CLEAR) legal clinic at the CUNY Law School, which has advised some of the most hardline anti-Zionist activist groups in New York.
Also, while still mayor-elect, he named Catherine Almonte Da Costa to be director of appointments. She had to resign quickly after the discovery of ugly antisemitic slurs she posted about a decade earlier on the Internet.
The social media posts included the following:
“Money hungry Jews smh [shaking my head].”
“Far Rockaway train is the Jew train.”
Mamdani officials said the mayor was unaware of the posts. They apparently slipped by the vetting process.
That is hard to accept given he must have had a political relationship with her to name her to a top spot in his administration. But, if true, it does not speak well of the vetting process.
Incidentally, her husband, Ricky Da Costa, is Jewish (deputy city comptroller) and she said they are raising her children as Jews. (No, I don’t understand it either). In her resignation, she apologized for the posts.
In the campaign, Mamdani refused to state that Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state. He would not condemn the slogan, “globalize the intifada.”
Asked on “Meet the Press” why he would not denounce that phrase, Mamdani said he does not want to “police speech.” No one was asking him to police speech. He could defend hate speech as a constitutional right (hardly a benevolent policy) while denouncing it.
On October 8, 2023, one day after the most violent slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust, he rebuked Israel for “occupation and apartheid,” without a mention of Hamas, the terrorist organization that committed the butchery.
Just six days after the attack, Mamdani and his supporters held a rally outside then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s house “to speak out against the indiscriminate killing of Palestinians as we sit on the brink of a genocide.” (Schumer is Jewish).
Mamdani was one of five state lawmakers who refused to sign two resolutions, one condemning the Holocaust and the other honoring Israel.
He has repeatedly accused Israel of “genocide” and pledged, if elected mayor, to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if the Israeli leader were to visit New York.
And he reassured his supporters after his victory in the primary that he would not “abandon my beliefs” about “what happens overseas [read Israel].”
Now, to put all this in perspective: Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City which has the highest population of Jews outside of Israel (about 1.4 million). Its Jewish population is larger than in Jerusalem which has just under one million.
They make up 10-15 percent of New York City’s electorate. Also, 13,000 Holocaust survivors live in the eight-county area, 92 percent of them in New York.
Here is the kicker: In the general election, he received 33 percent of the Jewish vote — 66,000 votes.
Someone please explain that to me.
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