
Shapiro Says Mamdani Fails to Condemn ‘Blatantly Antisemitic' Rhetoric
During the primary, Mr. Mamdani refused to condemn the phrase 'globalize the intifada,' though he has more recently appeared to soften his defense of the phrase. Palestinians and their supporters have called the phrase a rallying cry for liberation, but many Jews consider it a call to violence, a direct reference to deadly attacks on civilians in Israel by Palestinians in uprisings in the 1980s and 2000s.
The critique from Mr. Shapiro, one of the country's most prominent Jewish elected officials, underscored how deeply Mr. Mamdani's victory has shaken Democratic leaders, who have yet to unite behind Mr. Mamdani's campaign.
'He seemed to run a campaign that excited New Yorkers. He also seemed to run a campaign where he 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 antisemitic things,' Mr. Shapiro told Jewish Insider in an interview the news outlet published on Wednesday.
Mr. Mamdani's vocal support for Palestinian rights, a cause he has described as foundational to his political activism, has forced Democrats into a high-profile debate over whether outspoken opposition to Israel and its government — and even questioning its existence as a Jewish state — is a position that should be embraced by the party.
He has described Israel's actions in Gaza as a 'genocide,' and, when pressed, has not said if Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state, instead endorsing equal rights for all religious and ethnic groups there.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Fox News
4 minutes ago
- Fox News
Mother of murdered Congressional intern says D.C. Council isn't taking crime seriously
Eric's mother, Tamara Jachym, told Fox News Digital she doesn't feel like the D.C. Council is taking violent crime seriously.


New York Times
4 minutes ago
- New York Times
Trump Is Bringing Back the Presidential Fitness Test
If you spent your childhood struggling to do chin-ups or groaning over a sit-and-reach box in gym class, brace yourself. Today, President Trump signed an executive order to reinstate the Presidential Fitness Test in public schools. The move is part of the administration's goal to 'restore urgency in improving the health of all Americans,' according to a statement released by the White House. The test, which was introduced in 1966, has taken several forms over the years. The most recent version included a one-mile run, modified sit-ups, a 30-foot shuttle run, the sit-and-reach flexibility test and a choice between push-ups and pull-ups. In the last iteration, children who scored in the top 15 percent nationwide earned a Presidential Physical Fitness Award. The Trump administration has yet to announce which exercises will be included in the new test. In 2012, the Obama administration replaced the Presidential Fitness Test with a program called the Presidential Youth Fitness Program, which was less focused on standardized fitness benchmarks. Some fitness and child development experts have criticized the Presidential Fitness Test as too rigid. Children who are the same age, for instance, could be very different sizes or at different developmental stages. And focusing on scores, experts said, could risk turning some children off exercise altogether. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.


The Hill
5 minutes ago
- The Hill
Charlamagne tha God lauds book reveal, shares skepticism about Harris in 2028
Charlamagne tha God shared skepticism on the possibility of another White House bid from former Vice President Harris on Thursday but encouraged her to connect with people by publishing a book. 'I don't know if she should run again, but I definitely would like to see her write a book. I definitely would like to see her start a podcast and just build a real connection with people,' Charlamagne said during a Thursday episode of 'The Breakfast Club.' 'And she is relatively young. I just don't know what's going to happen in 2028, man. I just think Democrats suck so bad. I don't know,' he added. Some have speculated Harris is planning to enter the presidential race in 2028, where her Democratic opponents could range from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) to California Gov. Gavin Newsom. 'I think Kamala can definitely be a leader in the Democratic Party. And I mean, I think the interesting thing about the former VP is I kind of like that strategy,' Charlamagne told listeners. On Wednesday, Harris announced she would not launch a bid for governor in the Golden State. However, she also promoted her new book ' 107 Days,' focused on the behind-the-scenes of the campaign trail she undertook months after former President Biden dropped out of the race. In the past, Charlamagne lauded Harris for reviving a ' dead ' campaign but said President Trump captured audiences and spoke to voter grievances better. Harris is expected to give her first formal post-election remarks in a Thursday interview on 'The Late Show' with Stephen Colbert. Colbert, whose show is ending next year, has been critical of both Trump and his network CBS's parent company, Paramount, in a lawsuit Trump brought against '60 Minutes' over its editing of an interview with Harris.