Your words here are why I support J Street. Thank you for so clearly explaining what it means to be a Jew -- at least to me. I support the protection of both Jews in Israel and Palestinians in Gaza. One belief is not in opposition to the other. I support not killing people anywhere!!
Well said and thoughtful commentary, Jeremy. J Street can be a key Jewish organization working with Mamdani, helping him to understand our pro-democratic, pro-peace, pro-Israel position that recognizes the importance of a just two-state solution that respects the civil and human rights of both peoples.
First: Absolutely people should NOT be attacking Zohran Mamdani on the basis of his religion. And should denounce "Islamophobic comments" made about him.
At the same time; there should obviously not be an attempt to stifle debate about his - or anyone else -views with a blanket charges of Islamophobia - which is something that has not infrequently been done in politics- not least by the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR). But I'm not going to get into whether I think his general agenda is good or bad for New York City. That's for others and the voters to determine. I "probably" wouldn't characterize myself as a "Progressive" but nor am I all the way on the other side on such issues. (Like probably the majority of people despite all the partisanship)
I also think it's perfectly fair for people to oppose him if they choose. They have as much right to be concerned - as people do to support him
But I do think you're probably underplaying the impact of his potential (or perhaps likely) Mayoral electoral victory, based on his Israel/Palestinians views (and what his supporters may do and say if he is elected.) This is New York City after all. Lot of Jews. A place where Mayor of New York do have an international impact. And its sort or dissimulation for some to profess there's no "foreign policy" issue in this election for for New York Mayor. (Just look at what some of his supporters are saying about his election.)
I think some of the responses to your piece just so far - which are obviously nothing to do with you - illustrate why "Friends of Israel" are concerned with the Democratic Primary Victory of Zohran Mamdani.
As I posted a few days ago
"Think absolutely people should NOT be opposing (or supporting) Zohran Mamdani for Mayor of New York based on his religion. Totally legitimate to criticize his ideology or political views or affiliations, past statements and non statements, or impact on New York, views re Israel, concerns about antisemitism, views of some of his supporters, etc. All these things should of course be up for discussion. But NOT his religion (or even his foreign birth). But certainly not his religion. (The one caveat: Unless he were a member of some “Muslim Brotherhood or that he was going around saying his Islamic beliefs impell him to take some action; something like that. But otherwise no) As a Jew one can’t - or at least, shouldn’t feel comfortable - on the basis of someone being attacked because of his religion. All the other reasons listed above are of course, fair game." https://substack.com/@michaellewisonline/note/c-129846948?
I agree 100%, Jeremy. We all must fight to de-couple being anti-Netanyahu and his policies from being anti-Semitic. Mamdani needs to be further educated but he is not anti-Semitic now or, as best as I can determine , ever (loose talk notwithstanding). Keep up the important work!
Thank you for these words. I, for one, support the BDS movement as a way to protest the horrifying policies of the Israeli government. I know this won't make us enemies who hate each other. And that's the crucial problem -- WHY do people become so utterly irrational when it comes to politics and/or religion? I bet some people will take my first sentence here as proof of my antisemitism. They're wrong. Well, I don't think highly of ANY organized religion, but other than that... One possible answer to the "why" is fear. A dangerous emotion which easily shuts off rational thought. THAT'S what people who freak out because of Mamdani's win should examine.
Of course it's not antisemitism - it's compassion and understanding. As a secular Jew with great admiration for the Israeli people, I am horrified at what Netanyahu, a self-serving, cunning war monger, just like the moron at the helm of our country, only educated and intelligent, is doing to Israel, the Palestinian people, and to the world.
These are the conversations I have been dying for more people to have. I care very much about people of Jewish faith and the battle against antisemitism and all the evil it has produced and is still producing. And I care very much for the Palestinian people who have been horribly oppressed and are now being slaughtered and starved in what is amounting to a genocide. It has been both difficult and painful to talk about this. Both deserve the utmost respect and compassion but when one speaks up for one or the other, often the other can end up feeling very hurt and offended. We do need to find a way to talk about this painful subject. Thank you so much for starting this conversation and I beg to see more, a podcast would be great.
Jeremy, I agree than Mamdani should be given a chance. I was very impressed by his joint appearance with Brad Lander on the Colbert show. I think that Lander who has the experience he lacks should be the candidate for his Deputy Mayor. Of course we disagree with some of his views, such as support for a "global intifada", his belief that BDS can help end the occupation, and perhaps the definition of what is the nature of the State of Israel that he recognizes. Sitting in my evacuee hotel in Tel Aviv with hundreds of my neighbors who had to leave their homes when the Iranian missile severely damaged or destroyed our homes when it hit Mograby Square, the day after the election a woman said to me worriedly "an Arab anti-Semite was elected mayor of New York!" I responded "he's not an Arab, he's not anti-Semitic, and he hasn't yet been elected mayor of New York, only the Democratic candidate for mayor." It's clear that all the conservative and reactionary forces will get behind the candidacy of the current corrupt mayor Eric Adams. As progressives, and as liberal/left Zionists, it's in our interest that the team of Mamdani and Lander be elected, for the sake of New York City, and also for the future of the Democratic Party. He has said that he is open to dialogue with those who disagree with his positions. I suggest that we find a way to engage him on the readiness, to explain to him why we think certain of his position formulations are problematic and how he might revise them, in the spirit of our agreement with the need to end the occupation, and enable the Palestinians to have their right to national self-determination in the West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living in peace alongside the State of Israel, which will help defuse some of the fears that liberal Jews have, and help him win the election. As a native New Yorker who lives in Tel Aviv and as a former Chair of Democrats Abroad - Israel, the Israeli branch of the American Democratic Party, I would be happy to be a part of such a conversation with him.
A great column. But one point about the phrase “globalizing the intifada.” If Mamdani can’t find a way to label that phrase as what it is, a call to arms, I question whatever judgment he had on public safety. He might be right about the actual definition of intifada, but the word and that phrase have taken on a new meaning. He needs to finesse his messaging and acknowledge the instability that phrase imparts. This is a domestic issue. Citizens from left to right want safe streets. He needs to lambaste the hate speech you cite and clear calls to violence that threaten public tranquility. If he can’t do that and learn from current and potential allies, he risks losing to Mayor Adams.
Thank you for this thoughtful piece. Me, too, I very much want to give Mamdani a chance, and am so hoping we can all embrace and support our shared humanity in this worrisome time.
Israel Big Money Donor's have paid Trump's Campaign Close to 1 Billion dollars for the West Bank to pass in Congress and Trump wants Gaza t for Real state to build hotels and casino's!!!!!!
.................................‘Let Bibi Go’: Trump doubles down on demand to end Netanyahu’s corruption trial
In unprecedented intervention, US president calls proceedings a ‘witch hunt’ and, highlighting the billions in US aid to Israel, warns, ‘We are not going to stand for this’
“It is terrible what they are doing in Israel to Bibi Netanyahu,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, continuing his unprecedented intervention in domestic Israeli judicial processes.
“He is a war hero, and a prime minister who did a fabulous job working with the United States to bring great success in getting rid of the dangerous nuclear threat in Iran,” Trump continued. “Importantly, he is right now in the process of negotiating a deal with Hamas, which will include getting the hostages back.”
“How is it possible that the prime minister of Israel can be forced to sit in a courtroom all day long, over nothing,” he added, downplaying the charges against Netanyahu and calling the corruption trial a “witch hunt.”
“This travesty of ‘justice’ will interfere with both Iran and Hamas negotiations,” Trump charged. “In other words, it is insanity doing what the out-of-control prosecutors are doing to Bibi Netanyahu.”
'SOUNDS FAMILAR MAKE TRUMP GREAT AGAIN'
''Trump highlighted that “The United States of America spends billions of dollar(s) a year, far more than on any other nation, protecting and supporting Israel,” before declaring, “We are not going to stand for this.”
Adding that “this greatly tarnishes our victory,” Trump demanded, “Let Bibi go. He’s got a big job to do.”
Netanyahu thanked Trump, appearing to welcome the intervention in domestic judicial proceedings. “Thank you again, @realDonaldTrump,” Netanyahu posted on X atop a screen capture of Trump’s Truth Social post. “Together, we make will make the Middle East Great Again!”
Opposition politicians, meanwhile, accused Netanyahu of selling out Israel’s national security for his own personal interests.
The Democrats MK Naama Lazimi argued that by “trading his indictment in exchange for a political settlement and an end to the war,” Netanyahu is exhibiting his unfitness for office, alleging that he is “conditioning the future of Israel and our children on his trial.”
Netanyahu is “acting against the Israeli public interest” by linking his legal troubles with the issue of the hostages and regional normalization agreements, tweeted Yesh Atid MK Karine Elharrar, asserting that Trump’s post had conditioned US aid on the prime minister’s trial.''
Hello: Zohran Mamdani's views of Israel and foreign policy are you could say baked in. His film director mother (Hindu) and Columbia professor father (Muslim) have very open and explicit views about Israel as a colonialist apartheid society. They are entitled to that, but why are Mamdani's concerns wholly focused on Israel? Is there no concern about India, Pakistan, and Kashmir, or what Hezbollah has done to Lebanon, or Iran's theocracy has done to its people and other countries, or the vast brutality and death unfolding in Sudan? Apparently only what Jews do is a problem. And that is why, whatever abilities Mamdani might have to be mayor of New York City, can't be separated from his ideological biases. And so why believe that he can be made more sensitive to Jewish history by liberal jews like Brad Lander or Jerrold Nadler? No one I know is happy about the destruction and death in Gaza but the narrative only seems to go one way.
He is not focused on Israel. He’s asked about it every step of the way by the media looking for a gotcha moment - it’s not something he’s actively campaigning on. I encourage you to read more closely into what Zohran has said about Jews. It’s eloquent and inspiring.
He is not focused on Israel. He’s asked about it every step of the way by the media looking for a gotcha moment - it’s not something he’s actively campaigning on. I encourage you to read more closely into what Zohran has said about Jews. It’s eloquent and inspiring.
Mamdani's views and ideology in regard to Israel are a visible part of who he is as a politician, and young progressive voters know this as well. Given that he is running to be Mayor of New York City, the home of very many jews, it is not surprising that the Press would be on him about it. My question though was about the many wars and instances of extreme "human rights" abuses, many in the Moslem world, and why that is not part of his public concern. The narrative of Palestinian victimization is the only one under discussion. One does not have to be a fan of Netanyahu to wonder why Israelis and Jews are routinely condemned while say the Iranians, and Sudanese are not. As to whether Mamdani is eloquent (yes he speaks well), ultimately inspiring (not to me) and able to succeed with his claims and proposals, I will reserve judgment. November is several months away.
Again, the concern you see is only because he is consistently asked about it. If the media were to ask him about South Sudan, then critics would probably ask “But why hasn’t he commented on X?” If you look at his speeches, his press conferences, tweets etc, you would quickly realize where the focus is- making NYC more affordable. I encourage you not to get sucked in by all the bait thrown his way.
While “probably ask” is not a critical analysis but a feeling on your part, it is the job of the media to ask questions about a politician’s thinking and proposals. So even if you decide it is not important to understand what Zohran Mamdani's ideas about “human rights” mean, whether in Sudan, Lebanon, Kashmir, Iran, or Israel, it is essential that we understand what he will do as mayor when Trump’s ICE gestapo descend on New York City. The fanciful idea of city-run grocery stores, for example, no matter how “inspiring” will not be sufficient to stop that assault no less to solve the many fiscal and social issues that New York City faces.
I don't have a problem with Mamdani's criticism of Israel (there's a lot to criticize) nor for his support of Palestinian rights. However, if he doesn't recognize Israel's right as an independent country... that's definitely a problem.
Definitely will not have peace and a separate soverign state for the Palestinians next door to Israel without the Palestinians accepting the Jews' soverign state of Israel. The radical Islamists' desire to eradicate the one Jewish state of Israel has thwarted multiple potential peace processes since the 1970s. Israel disengaged from Gaza in 2005 (evacuated 21 settlements and about about 9,000 residents). Hamas took control in 2007. Trading land for peace did not work.
Your words here are why I support J Street. Thank you for so clearly explaining what it means to be a Jew -- at least to me. I support the protection of both Jews in Israel and Palestinians in Gaza. One belief is not in opposition to the other. I support not killing people anywhere!!
Well said and thoughtful commentary, Jeremy. J Street can be a key Jewish organization working with Mamdani, helping him to understand our pro-democratic, pro-peace, pro-Israel position that recognizes the importance of a just two-state solution that respects the civil and human rights of both peoples.
First: Absolutely people should NOT be attacking Zohran Mamdani on the basis of his religion. And should denounce "Islamophobic comments" made about him.
At the same time; there should obviously not be an attempt to stifle debate about his - or anyone else -views with a blanket charges of Islamophobia - which is something that has not infrequently been done in politics- not least by the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR). But I'm not going to get into whether I think his general agenda is good or bad for New York City. That's for others and the voters to determine. I "probably" wouldn't characterize myself as a "Progressive" but nor am I all the way on the other side on such issues. (Like probably the majority of people despite all the partisanship)
I also think it's perfectly fair for people to oppose him if they choose. They have as much right to be concerned - as people do to support him
But I do think you're probably underplaying the impact of his potential (or perhaps likely) Mayoral electoral victory, based on his Israel/Palestinians views (and what his supporters may do and say if he is elected.) This is New York City after all. Lot of Jews. A place where Mayor of New York do have an international impact. And its sort or dissimulation for some to profess there's no "foreign policy" issue in this election for for New York Mayor. (Just look at what some of his supporters are saying about his election.)
I think some of the responses to your piece just so far - which are obviously nothing to do with you - illustrate why "Friends of Israel" are concerned with the Democratic Primary Victory of Zohran Mamdani.
As I posted a few days ago
"Think absolutely people should NOT be opposing (or supporting) Zohran Mamdani for Mayor of New York based on his religion. Totally legitimate to criticize his ideology or political views or affiliations, past statements and non statements, or impact on New York, views re Israel, concerns about antisemitism, views of some of his supporters, etc. All these things should of course be up for discussion. But NOT his religion (or even his foreign birth). But certainly not his religion. (The one caveat: Unless he were a member of some “Muslim Brotherhood or that he was going around saying his Islamic beliefs impell him to take some action; something like that. But otherwise no) As a Jew one can’t - or at least, shouldn’t feel comfortable - on the basis of someone being attacked because of his religion. All the other reasons listed above are of course, fair game." https://substack.com/@michaellewisonline/note/c-129846948?
I agree 100%, Jeremy. We all must fight to de-couple being anti-Netanyahu and his policies from being anti-Semitic. Mamdani needs to be further educated but he is not anti-Semitic now or, as best as I can determine , ever (loose talk notwithstanding). Keep up the important work!
Thank you for these words. I, for one, support the BDS movement as a way to protest the horrifying policies of the Israeli government. I know this won't make us enemies who hate each other. And that's the crucial problem -- WHY do people become so utterly irrational when it comes to politics and/or religion? I bet some people will take my first sentence here as proof of my antisemitism. They're wrong. Well, I don't think highly of ANY organized religion, but other than that... One possible answer to the "why" is fear. A dangerous emotion which easily shuts off rational thought. THAT'S what people who freak out because of Mamdani's win should examine.
By the way, for those reading through the comments and interested in reading a good take on the 'fear' issue: https://besskalb.substack.com/p/more-than-our-fear?r=bqoi&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=true
Of course it's not antisemitism - it's compassion and understanding. As a secular Jew with great admiration for the Israeli people, I am horrified at what Netanyahu, a self-serving, cunning war monger, just like the moron at the helm of our country, only educated and intelligent, is doing to Israel, the Palestinian people, and to the world.
These are the conversations I have been dying for more people to have. I care very much about people of Jewish faith and the battle against antisemitism and all the evil it has produced and is still producing. And I care very much for the Palestinian people who have been horribly oppressed and are now being slaughtered and starved in what is amounting to a genocide. It has been both difficult and painful to talk about this. Both deserve the utmost respect and compassion but when one speaks up for one or the other, often the other can end up feeling very hurt and offended. We do need to find a way to talk about this painful subject. Thank you so much for starting this conversation and I beg to see more, a podcast would be great.
Our Word on the Street Substack Live this week Wednesday at 4 will dive into this more deeply
Jeremy, I agree than Mamdani should be given a chance. I was very impressed by his joint appearance with Brad Lander on the Colbert show. I think that Lander who has the experience he lacks should be the candidate for his Deputy Mayor. Of course we disagree with some of his views, such as support for a "global intifada", his belief that BDS can help end the occupation, and perhaps the definition of what is the nature of the State of Israel that he recognizes. Sitting in my evacuee hotel in Tel Aviv with hundreds of my neighbors who had to leave their homes when the Iranian missile severely damaged or destroyed our homes when it hit Mograby Square, the day after the election a woman said to me worriedly "an Arab anti-Semite was elected mayor of New York!" I responded "he's not an Arab, he's not anti-Semitic, and he hasn't yet been elected mayor of New York, only the Democratic candidate for mayor." It's clear that all the conservative and reactionary forces will get behind the candidacy of the current corrupt mayor Eric Adams. As progressives, and as liberal/left Zionists, it's in our interest that the team of Mamdani and Lander be elected, for the sake of New York City, and also for the future of the Democratic Party. He has said that he is open to dialogue with those who disagree with his positions. I suggest that we find a way to engage him on the readiness, to explain to him why we think certain of his position formulations are problematic and how he might revise them, in the spirit of our agreement with the need to end the occupation, and enable the Palestinians to have their right to national self-determination in the West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living in peace alongside the State of Israel, which will help defuse some of the fears that liberal Jews have, and help him win the election. As a native New Yorker who lives in Tel Aviv and as a former Chair of Democrats Abroad - Israel, the Israeli branch of the American Democratic Party, I would be happy to be a part of such a conversation with him.
A great column. But one point about the phrase “globalizing the intifada.” If Mamdani can’t find a way to label that phrase as what it is, a call to arms, I question whatever judgment he had on public safety. He might be right about the actual definition of intifada, but the word and that phrase have taken on a new meaning. He needs to finesse his messaging and acknowledge the instability that phrase imparts. This is a domestic issue. Citizens from left to right want safe streets. He needs to lambaste the hate speech you cite and clear calls to violence that threaten public tranquility. If he can’t do that and learn from current and potential allies, he risks losing to Mayor Adams.
"I and many Jews hear support for ‘intifada’ not as opposition to occupation but as support, even encouragement, for violence."
Amen, brother!
If the First and Second Intifadas are what people want to globalize, then that is support and encouragement of violence.
Wow, the Sept 11, 2001 mayoral primary. I hope that day will be recorded in your memoirs.
Seared into our collective memory.
A family event that you no doubt remember ;-)
Thank you for this thoughtful piece. Me, too, I very much want to give Mamdani a chance, and am so hoping we can all embrace and support our shared humanity in this worrisome time.
Terrific column. I hope that such deliberate, open analysis can cut through the shouting and group-think.
Thanks Jeremy.
'Times of Israel breaking News'.........
Israel Big Money Donor's have paid Trump's Campaign Close to 1 Billion dollars for the West Bank to pass in Congress and Trump wants Gaza t for Real state to build hotels and casino's!!!!!!
.................................‘Let Bibi Go’: Trump doubles down on demand to end Netanyahu’s corruption trial
In unprecedented intervention, US president calls proceedings a ‘witch hunt’ and, highlighting the billions in US aid to Israel, warns, ‘We are not going to stand for this’
“It is terrible what they are doing in Israel to Bibi Netanyahu,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, continuing his unprecedented intervention in domestic Israeli judicial processes.
“He is a war hero, and a prime minister who did a fabulous job working with the United States to bring great success in getting rid of the dangerous nuclear threat in Iran,” Trump continued. “Importantly, he is right now in the process of negotiating a deal with Hamas, which will include getting the hostages back.”
“How is it possible that the prime minister of Israel can be forced to sit in a courtroom all day long, over nothing,” he added, downplaying the charges against Netanyahu and calling the corruption trial a “witch hunt.”
“This travesty of ‘justice’ will interfere with both Iran and Hamas negotiations,” Trump charged. “In other words, it is insanity doing what the out-of-control prosecutors are doing to Bibi Netanyahu.”
'SOUNDS FAMILAR MAKE TRUMP GREAT AGAIN'
''Trump highlighted that “The United States of America spends billions of dollar(s) a year, far more than on any other nation, protecting and supporting Israel,” before declaring, “We are not going to stand for this.”
Adding that “this greatly tarnishes our victory,” Trump demanded, “Let Bibi go. He’s got a big job to do.”
Netanyahu thanked Trump, appearing to welcome the intervention in domestic judicial proceedings. “Thank you again, @realDonaldTrump,” Netanyahu posted on X atop a screen capture of Trump’s Truth Social post. “Together, we make will make the Middle East Great Again!”
Opposition politicians, meanwhile, accused Netanyahu of selling out Israel’s national security for his own personal interests.
The Democrats MK Naama Lazimi argued that by “trading his indictment in exchange for a political settlement and an end to the war,” Netanyahu is exhibiting his unfitness for office, alleging that he is “conditioning the future of Israel and our children on his trial.”
Netanyahu is “acting against the Israeli public interest” by linking his legal troubles with the issue of the hostages and regional normalization agreements, tweeted Yesh Atid MK Karine Elharrar, asserting that Trump’s post had conditioned US aid on the prime minister’s trial.''
Eradicate Netanyahu now!
Hello: Zohran Mamdani's views of Israel and foreign policy are you could say baked in. His film director mother (Hindu) and Columbia professor father (Muslim) have very open and explicit views about Israel as a colonialist apartheid society. They are entitled to that, but why are Mamdani's concerns wholly focused on Israel? Is there no concern about India, Pakistan, and Kashmir, or what Hezbollah has done to Lebanon, or Iran's theocracy has done to its people and other countries, or the vast brutality and death unfolding in Sudan? Apparently only what Jews do is a problem. And that is why, whatever abilities Mamdani might have to be mayor of New York City, can't be separated from his ideological biases. And so why believe that he can be made more sensitive to Jewish history by liberal jews like Brad Lander or Jerrold Nadler? No one I know is happy about the destruction and death in Gaza but the narrative only seems to go one way.
He is not focused on Israel. He’s asked about it every step of the way by the media looking for a gotcha moment - it’s not something he’s actively campaigning on. I encourage you to read more closely into what Zohran has said about Jews. It’s eloquent and inspiring.
He is not focused on Israel. He’s asked about it every step of the way by the media looking for a gotcha moment - it’s not something he’s actively campaigning on. I encourage you to read more closely into what Zohran has said about Jews. It’s eloquent and inspiring.
Mamdani's views and ideology in regard to Israel are a visible part of who he is as a politician, and young progressive voters know this as well. Given that he is running to be Mayor of New York City, the home of very many jews, it is not surprising that the Press would be on him about it. My question though was about the many wars and instances of extreme "human rights" abuses, many in the Moslem world, and why that is not part of his public concern. The narrative of Palestinian victimization is the only one under discussion. One does not have to be a fan of Netanyahu to wonder why Israelis and Jews are routinely condemned while say the Iranians, and Sudanese are not. As to whether Mamdani is eloquent (yes he speaks well), ultimately inspiring (not to me) and able to succeed with his claims and proposals, I will reserve judgment. November is several months away.
Again, the concern you see is only because he is consistently asked about it. If the media were to ask him about South Sudan, then critics would probably ask “But why hasn’t he commented on X?” If you look at his speeches, his press conferences, tweets etc, you would quickly realize where the focus is- making NYC more affordable. I encourage you not to get sucked in by all the bait thrown his way.
While “probably ask” is not a critical analysis but a feeling on your part, it is the job of the media to ask questions about a politician’s thinking and proposals. So even if you decide it is not important to understand what Zohran Mamdani's ideas about “human rights” mean, whether in Sudan, Lebanon, Kashmir, Iran, or Israel, it is essential that we understand what he will do as mayor when Trump’s ICE gestapo descend on New York City. The fanciful idea of city-run grocery stores, for example, no matter how “inspiring” will not be sufficient to stop that assault no less to solve the many fiscal and social issues that New York City faces.
I don't have a problem with Mamdani's criticism of Israel (there's a lot to criticize) nor for his support of Palestinian rights. However, if he doesn't recognize Israel's right as an independent country... that's definitely a problem.
Definitely will not have peace and a separate soverign state for the Palestinians next door to Israel without the Palestinians accepting the Jews' soverign state of Israel. The radical Islamists' desire to eradicate the one Jewish state of Israel has thwarted multiple potential peace processes since the 1970s. Israel disengaged from Gaza in 2005 (evacuated 21 settlements and about about 9,000 residents). Hamas took control in 2007. Trading land for peace did not work.