Jewish group slams Democratic NYC mayoral hopeful over 'sick' mockery of 'sacred' traditions

Fox News

06-07-2025

A Jewish advocacy group is blasting Democratic New York City mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani for sharing a video mocking Hanukkah Jewish traditions on social media.
The organization, Stop Antisemitism, says Mamdani posted the "sick" video to his X account last year. The video is originally from the Geeta Brothers Duet Group, a satirical and comedic duo who dressed themselves in stereotypical Jewish garb for the performance.
"Zohran Mamdani posts Indian men cosplaying Jews, spinning dreidels and lighting the menorah," Stop Antisemitism wrote in a statement on X.
"Our holidays and traditions are sacred and not for your comedic pleasure, Zohran Mamdani – this is sick," the group added, tagging the mayoral candidate.
Mamdani had posted the video in December 2024, adding the caption, "Happy 3rd night of Hanukkah from Astoria and Long Island City."
The video originates from the 2015 parody album "Punjabi Christmas Album Hits" from the Geeta Brothers.
Mamdani posted another video from the same album on Christmas Eve, this one based on "Jingle Bells."
"Wishing you all a very merry Christmas from Astoria and Long Island City," he wrote at the time.
Mamdani's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Accusations of antisemitism have harried Mamdani's campaign from its outset. The self-proclaimed democratic socialist has refused multiple times to recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, and he has supported the BDS movement against Israel.
"I believe Israel has a right to exist," he said during a mayoral primary debate in June.
"As a Jewish state?" the moderator pressed.
"As a state with equal rights," Mamdani said.
He later elaborated on his opposition to Israel being a Jewish state in an interview with Fox 5.
"I'm not comfortable supporting any state that has a hierarchy of citizenship on the basis of religion or anything else," he said.
Mamdani, a Muslim, has also faced criticism for refusing to condemn the phrase "globalize the intifada."
StopAntisemitism founder Liora Rez argued last week that electing Mamdani mayor would not only be "catastrophic" for Jewish residents, but all who reside in the city.
"If Zohran Mamdani was elected as mayor, it would be hands down catastrophic for Jewish residents of New York City," Rez told Fox News Digital. "And we would even take it a step further where citizens of New York City in general, due to his very troubling stances on socialism, would greatly suffer as well."
"I think individuals who are concerned that Zohran Mamdani is antisemitic have every single right to be concerned considering his past behavior," Rez added. "We can list dozens of examples of his past antisemitic adjacent and direct antisemitic actions."