Zohran Mamdani, Democratic Party nominee for the mayor of New York, affirms “globalize the intifada.” The last intifada, 2000-2005, was a series of murders of Israelis in such places as pizzerias. Innocent people, unarmed, were shot dead by Palestinians. That was the intifada that Mamdani cannot bring himself to denounce. Now, New York State Assemblyman Sam Berger reports in Hamodia that he received call from one of Mamdani’s team asking whether they could “set aside our disagreement on Israel” and find common ground.
Imagine survivors of the flood in Kerrville, Texas agreeing to “set aside the flood” and tell us about the rest of their July 4.
Imagine academics discussing the career of bin Laden, wondering whether they could “set aside 9/11” and agree on the overall arc of his career.
Imagine former Nazis seeking reconciliation with Jews after WW II asking whether they could just “set aside the Holocaust” to work together.
Imagine Nelson Mandela agreeing to “set aside apartheid” and focus on the natural beauty of South Africa.
Set aside our disagreement on Israel.
Cut out your soul.
Sell out your relatives.
Deny your history.
Abandon your people.
No! said Assemblyman Berger.
On Oct. 8, 2003, when the Hamas terrorists had still not been wholly stopped from their mass murder, Zohran Mamdani said:
“Netanyahu’s declaration of war, the Israeli government’s decision to cut electricity to Gaza, and Knesset members calling for another Nakba will undoubtedly lead to more violence and suffering in the days and weeks to come.”
The same man who wants to “set aside our disagreement on Israel” is the man who could not name Hamas.
Could not name what it did.
Could not acknowledge, let alone condemn, murder and kidnapping.
Could not understand that the war begun on Oct. 7, not the day after, and not by Israel.
Mamdani wants to “set aside our disagreement on Israel” because — what’s the big deal? Let’s talk about housing in New York City. So what if I cannot condemn burning people alive and kidnapping children? Surely we can put this aside and focus on New York City, and ignore all I’ve said about a matters outside New York City, no?
Indeed, Mamdani has said a lot about, for example, The Holy Land Five. These were the heads of an Islamic “charity” organization who were convicted of aiding Hamas, which the US designated as a terrorist organization, first in 1995, under President Clinton, a Democrat.
In 2001, the US government designated this charity organization, “the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development,” a terrorist organization under President George W. Bush, a Republican. Mamdani praised the organization in a rap song: “My love to the Holy Land. You better look ‘em up.”
Mamdani said this in 2017. He knew it was a terrorist organization; it was so designated way back in 2001. He’s telling his listeners to “look ‘em up” —make sure you know about terrorists! That was Mamdani’s rap song.
Still, can’t we just be friends and “set aside our disagreement on Israel?”
• • •
Mamdani demeans “PEPs” — politicians who are “progressive except for Palestine.” Mamdani seems ignorant of the appropriate stigmata, “PEIs” — progressive except for Israel. By opposing Israel, Mamdani opposes a progressive country —
• whose economic history is socialist;
• whose citizens (including its Arab citizens) are financially rewarded by the government for each child;
• whose government subsidizes the cost of bread:
• whose Finance Ministry must approve any price hike for milk.
• whose Housing Ministry subsidized housing for young families — and not for renting, but for purchase!
Either Mamdani is ignorant of Israel’s progressive bent or, like many progressives these days, he sees Israel only through rigid stereotypes based on what passes for scholarship in many university depart- ments.
• • •
Mamdani is against Israel as a Jewish state because “I’m not comfortable supporting any state that has a hierarchy of citizenship on the basis of religion or anything else.”
Yes — unless that state’s name is Pakistan, Iran or Saudi Arabia.
There, Mamdani’s high-sounding principles don’t apply. He applies them selectively, only to Israel. That’s the double standard. That’s the classic definition of anti-Semitism set down by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, adopted around the world. That’s Zohran Mamdani.
That’s why we can’t just “set aside our disagreement on Israel.”
© IJN 2025
