More than 1,000 US rabbis join letter raising concerns about Zohran Mamdani and Israel

Democratic candidate and frontrunner Zohran Mamdani tried to reassure Jewish voters that he would protect them during the Oct. 22 New York City mayoral debate .

His opponent, Andrew Cuomo, interjected. Hundreds of rabbis, he noted, had signed a letter warning about the normalization of antisemitism and anti-Zionism and tying it to candidates like Mamdani. The New York assemblyman is an outspoken critic of Israel who has repeatedly said he is "not a Zionist."

"It was not several rabbis, Zohran," Cuomo said at the Wednesday debate. "It was 650 rabbis."

As of the morning of Oct. 24, more than 1,000 rabbis from around the country had signed the letter saying Mamdani's positions and rhetoric threatened Jewish safety ,despite his attempts to reassure Jewish voters

Titled "A Rabbinic Call to Action: Defending the Jewish Future," the letter says that Mandani has denied Israel's legitimacy and has in the past defended the slogan "globalize the Intifada" — though he has more recently said he would discourage the use of that phrase and would not use it himself.

The letter urged voters to support candidates who oppose antisemitism and anti-Zionism and "affirm Israel's right to exist in peace and security."

"We will not accept a culture that treats Jewish self-determination as a negotiable ideal or Jewish inclusion as something to be 'granted,'" the statement continued. "The safety and dignity of Jews in every city depend on rejecting that false choice."

Mamdani has launched a charm offensive in recent months, seeking to assure Jewish New Yorkers that he would not tolerate antisemitism. He has also said some of the criticism stems from his Muslim faith.

Rabbi decries 'dog whistle'

Rabbi David Seth Kirshner of Temple Emanu-El, a Conservative Jewish synagogue in Closter, New Jersey, was among the first to sign. The letter's roster has "grown like wildfire," representing "thousands of constituents across a broad spectrum of Jewish life," he said in an interview.

"I love the idea of a Muslim mayor of New York City and have no problem with Mamdani's religion. However, I have an issue with the things he's said about Jews and Israel," added Kirshner.

"When he talks about `globalizing the intifada,' that's calling for violence against Jews and that should disqualify him for any job, let alone running New York City. Just this week, he refused to say that Hamas should lay down its arms, which is an obvious dog whistle calling on Hamas and its supporters to continue to uprise. That's dangerous and we should be unequivocal in our condemnation," said Kirshner.

During a recent interview with Fox News , Mamdani sidestepped a question on whether Hamas should lay down its arms and relinquish power in Gaza. Mamdani said he was focused on improving affordability in New York and hoped for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Pressed again, he said, "I don't really have opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel beyond the question of justice and safety." He said both Hamas and the Israeli military should follow international law.

The letter also quotes Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, a leader of the Reform Judaism movement and of the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in Manhattan. He warned that the candidate's rhetoric will "deligitimize the Jewish community and encourage and exacerbate hostility towards Judaism and Jews."

Mamdani on Zionism

Mamdani has drawn attention for his statements about Israel, accusing it of being an apartheid state and said he would order the NYPD to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he comes to New York.

He has been a fierce critics of Israel's treatment of Palestinians and has rejected Zionism — the belief that Israel has a right to exist as an explicilty Jewish state.

"I support Israel's right to exist as a state with equal rights," he said in a June interview, but added, "I'm not comfortable supporting any state that has a hierarchy of citizenship on the basis of religion or anything else."

Mamdani has also said that he is committed to ensuring the safety of every New Yorker, including Jews. During his campaign he reached out to several Jewish communities and visited synagogues. He has also pledged to boost funding for hate-crime programs.

More: From Jersey City to Seattle, young progressives energized by Zohran Mamdani campaign

At Wednesday night's debate he said he looks forward to being mayor of all New Yorkers. "And that includes Jewish New Yorkers who may have concerns or opposition to the positions that I've shared about Israel and Palestine," he said. "I will be the mayor who doesn't just protect Jewish New Yorkers, but also celebrates and cherishes them."

A recent Fox poll found that Jewish voters were nearly split between Mamdani and Cuomo in the race, with 42% for Cuomo, 38% for Mamdani and 13% backing Republican Curtis Sliwa.

Mamdani's campaign did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

Rabbis speak out

Rabbi Benjamin David of Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, also signed onto the letter. In an interview, he said, "We need to support the cause of tolerance and inclusivity, not prejudice." He fears that antisemitism has become "so rampant and dangerous that if we can't confront it in New York City, a center of Jewish life, then that does not portend well for us."

Rabbi Andy Green, Senior Rabbi of Congregation Or Tzion in Scottsdale, Arizona, said that he rarely gets involved in politics but felt the need to act when it came to the "real fears that Mamdani’s unapologetic anti-Zionism evokes for Jews all across America, including in my own community."

He joined the letter, he said, to "highlight how violent rhetoric against Israel translates to real violence against Jews. ... We see this rhetoric among political extremists, both left and right."

“Anti-Zionism claims to be a political position, not a form of hatred," added Green. "Framing itself as 'politics' is just a legitimating strategy, a rhetorical maneuver designed to avoid being called antisemitism. But indeed, anti-Zonism is a sanitized mask for an older and deeper hatred."

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: US rabbis join letter rejecting Zohran Mamdani, anti-Zionism