One of the most prominent Jewish politicians in the US said Zohran Mamdani, New York’s Democratic mayoral nominee, should curb “blatantly anti-Semitic” language among his supporters.
In an interview with Jewish Insider, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Mamdani’s campaign “left open far too much space for extremists to either use his words or for him to not condemn the words of extremists that said some blatantly anti-Semitic things.”
Shapiro, a possible 2028 presidential candidate whose Jewish identity is core to his public profile, is a traditional pro-Israel Democrat. He told Jewish Insider, “Across the board, I want to see more support for Israel, for a Jewish state. That doesn’t mean that one can’t be critical of Israeli policy.”
As a leader, Shapiro said, “You have to speak and act with moral clarity, and when supporters of yours say things that are blatantly anti-Semitic, you can’t leave room for that to just sit there. You’ve got to condemn that.”
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, a Jewish progressive who endorsed Mamdani in the primary even while running against him, rejected Shapiro’s comments. He said:
“Zohran Mamdani won the votes of a large majority of NYC Democrats, including thousands of proud Jews like me, inspired by his vision of a city everyone can afford and confident about his commitment to combating anti-Semitism and hate.
“Josh Shapiro won’t help keep Jews safe in NYC or Pennsylvania by feeding Trump’s narrative about our Democratic nominee for mayor.”
During Mamdani’s primary campaign, he refused to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada.” Since then he has said he will “discourage” its use but has not renounced it.
Mamdani supports a boycott of Israel, which he says is committing genocide in Gaza.
Both Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries congratulated Mamdani on his primary win, but have not endorsed him.
