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New York Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Queens bodega named ‘Gaza Deli and Grill' ignites fear among Jewish New Yorkers — including Oct. 7 survivor: ‘I'm still not safe'
A Queens deli is stubbornly refusing to change its controversial name – even after over a year's worth of complaints from Jewish New Yorkers who said it makes them feel unsafe. The Gaza Deli and Grill on 48th Street in Woodside features painted slogans including 'Save Gaza' and 'Free Al Aqsa' – a phrase used as a call for Israel's removal from Jerusalem – as well as images of a keffiyeh-clad woman and watermelon 'Seeing these messages on a neighborhood deli feels like a punch to the gut. It's not just a mural – it's a message. And to someone like me, it's a reminder that even here, in the place I came to for peace, I'm still not safe,' Natalie Sanandaji told The Post. Advertisement 4 Jewish New Yorkers say that the Gaza Deli and Grill on 48th Street in Woodside make them feel unsafe. Helayne Seidman Sanandaji, 30 — who was at the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas slaughtered 1,200 Israelis — spotted the deli while heading to Brooklyn earlier this week. 'I came back to New York hoping for safety and stability — instead, I feel alienated in a city I once called home,' said Sanandaji. 'I'm surrounded by people who glorify and call Oct. 7 a 'resistance,' like it's a good thing…people who would celebrate the fact that I almost died.' Advertisement Sanandaji — who now works as a public affairs officer for the Combat Antisemitism Movement — likened the bodega's name to calling it '9/11 Deli' or 'Holocaust Deli.' 4 The bodega features painted slogans including 'Save Gaza' and 'Free Al Aqsa' – a phrase used as a call for Israel's removal from Jerusalem. Helayne Seidman 'It's the same connotation,' she said. The deli's owner dismissed the notion that Jews could take offense to his store's branding – telling The Post, 'they like to make excuses to make it sound like they're always the victim.' Advertisement 'We don't turn down any customers and, believe it or not, we have a lot of Jewish customers who still to this day come into the business. Everyone is welcome, we don't turn anyone away,' Bilal Alghazali said. 'There's no reason for fear.' 4 The deli's branding is a reminder that 'I'm still not safe,' said Oct. 7 survivor Natalie Sanandaji, who called the messaging 'a punch to the gut.' AFP via Getty Images Alghazali, 26, said he named the bodega to honor his mother's Palestinian roots and clamed he's gotten multiple death threats since the deli opened in February 2024. But he said he doesn't regret the name — and even plans to name his future daughter 'Gaza.' Advertisement Michelle Ahdoot, the director of End Jew Hatred, said the signage features 'the same kind of artwork that is used by Hamas to glorify violence against Jews.' 'There is a complete lack of sensitivity to Jewish New Yorkers who have experienced such a massive increase in Jew-hatred and now are seeing this deli being used to spread distorted politicized messages,' Ahdoot told The Post. 4 The deli's owner, Bilal Alghazali, said he named the bodega to honor his mother's Palestinian roots. Helayne Seidman Raif Rashed, the Israeli owner of the Flatiron restaurant Taboonia, called the deli's messaging 'crazy.' 'There are too many Hamas supporters here in New York,' Rashed said.
New York Times
04-08-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Many Jewish Voters Back Mamdani. And Many Agree With Him on Gaza.
Ben Sadoff knocked on roughly 1,000 doors as a canvasser for Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani's mayoral primary campaign in New York City, and the voters he met brought up the same issues again and again: the cost of rent, the cost of child care and the sense that things in the city were going in the wrong direction. One thing they did not frequently mention was Israel, he said. And when voters — including Jewish ones — did bring it up, their comments often focused on their anguish over Israel's war in Gaza, where starvation is spreading and about 60,000 people have been killed, according to Gazan officials. 'I think this campaign has really shown us something we have known for a while,' said Mr. Sadoff, who is Jewish and works as a bike mechanic in Manhattan. 'There are a million Jewish New Yorkers who have wide-ranging opinions on all kinds of issues.' Mr. Mamdani's commanding victory in the Democratic primary for mayor alarmed many Jews who are concerned by his outspoken criticism of Israel. But he won the votes of many other Jewish New Yorkers, some of whom said in interviews that they were unbothered by that criticism and inspired by his intense focus on affordability. Often these voters said that Mr. Mamdani's views on Israel, and his vocal opposition to its treatment of Palestinians, echoed their own. Mr. Mamdani has criticized Israel in ways that were once unthinkable for an elected official in New York, home to America's largest Jewish population. He has decried Israel as an apartheid state. He has said it should ensure equal rights for followers of all religions instead of favoring Jews in its political and legal system. He has supported the movement that seeks to economically isolate it, known as Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions. And he has endorsed the view of Israel's leading human rights organizations and of genocide scholars — including some in Israel — that it is committing genocide in Gaza, an allegation that the Israeli government has denied. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Fox News
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Comedian Michael Rapaport mocks NYC mayoral candidate Mamdani as 'Zohran the moron'
Comedian and New York City resident Michael Rapaport gave democratic socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani a new nickname during his podcast on Tuesday. Rapaport called Mamdani "Zohran the Moron," pronouncing his first name so it rhymes with moron, and vowing that he would not leave his home city even if the democratic socialist candidate became mayor. "I've heard a lot of people say that if Zohran the Moron wins the election, you're going to leave New York. New Yorkers, if Zohran the Moron wins the election, don't go anywhere," he said, telling them not to let him run them out of their city. Mamdani's primary win has caused alarm among Jewish New Yorkers because of the candidate's rhetoric and stances surrounding Israel. During an interview with NBC's Kristen Welker, Mamdani refused to condemn the phrase "globalize the intifada." After receiving blowback for refusing to denounce the slogan, Mamdani reportedly told city business leaders that he would not use the phrase and would discourage others from doing so. Business leaders are also concerned about the candidate's democratic socialist policies, like his proposed rent freeze policy. Rapaport, a Jew who became an outspoken advocate for Israel following the Oct. 7 terror attack, urged fellow New Yorkers to "not let this terrorist supporter, socialist bulls--- artist run you out of your city." "He's not even from here," he continued. "Do not even think you're going to leave New York City if Zohran the Moron wins the election. I'm going nowhere." Mamdani, a Ugandan-born Muslim New York State Assemblyman from Queens, beat former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to become the Democratic Party's nominee for mayor. Rapaport noted that even though he'll take a financial hit if Mamdani wins and enacts his far-left policies, he will still stay in the city. "I'm never leaving New York for a Three-Card Monty playing bulls--- artist like you, Zohran the Moron," he said. "If this guy wins, we need to blame ourselves. We need to dust ourselves off and make New York great again." Rapaport has spoken out against the mayoral candidate since he won the Democratic primary race last month. In an interview with NewsNation earlier this month, the comedian lamented, "We are this close to having a person like that become mayor of what should be considered the greatest city in the world." "But the fact that this guy is even in contention is a slap in the face," he added. "Whether he wins or loses, it is a slap in the face." Mamdani didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Guardian
17-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
What should Jewish New Yorkers make of Zohran Mamdani?
While headlines would have you believe otherwise, Jewish New Yorkers supported Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral Democratic primary in droves. We showed up because our communities want to live and thrive alongside our neighbors in an affordable city where no one is left behind, and because we want a mayor who believes in Palestinian human rights. The organization I work for, Jewish Voice for Peace Action, endorsed Zohran the same day he launched his candidacy. Our volunteers knocked on more than 80,000 doors, made hundreds of thousands of calls, and raised tens of thousands in grassroots dollars. While Zohran ran a unifying campaign, Andrew Cuomo used Islamophobic fearmongering, false accusations of antisemitism and unwavering support for Israel's crimes in an attempt to divide our communities. It failed spectacularly. The Jewish community's opinion about Israel and US policy is diverse and shifting rapidly. A poll from last November showed 61% of Jews supported halting US weapons to Israel. Hundreds of thousands of Jews in the US are clear: the Israeli government is committing genocide and apartheid, and our government must stop funding it. Many Jewish New Yorkers alongside our neighbors are desperate for elected representatives brave enough to say the truth, and it is refreshing to see a politician like Zohran with consistent values, whose progressive politics do not stop at our city's borders. During a primary debate, every candidate was asked where they would first travel as mayor. Zohran replied that he would stay put in New York. When moderators bafflingly began interrogating him on visiting Israel, he replied that he need not travel abroad to understand Jewish New Yorkers. He would meet us in synagogues, on the subways and wherever else we are in the city. For many Jews watching, we felt seen in our lives, in our diversity, and in our concerns right where we live. And we felt relief to hear a candidate refuse to position New York Jews as a proxy for a government committing genocide. The Zohran campaign represents a broad coalition committed to justice and dignity. Progressive Jews are proudly part of this coalition and will fight alongside our neighbors for a New York for all. Beth Miller is the political director of Jewish Voice for Peace Action Elections are about choices. I didn't support Zohran Mamdani in the NYC democratic primary; I voted for Brad Lander for mayor. But now that Mamdani won, I am supporting him, despite some of his positions, particularly on Israel. I hope that he will understand that concerns like mine are real. Israel is more than a foreign policy issue for many New Yorkers. Mamdani refuses to say that the chant 'globalize the intifada' is dangerous, though he doesn't use it. But it instills fear in many of us. He also is a staunch supporter of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), a movement that insists on cutting off Israeli institutions, which are considered 'complicit', even institutions or individuals who work with Arab citizens of Israel and those who oppose the occupation, as many artists and academics do. Mamdani has an opportunity to detoxify the Israel/Palestine debate among the left and within the Democratic party. He should acknowledge that there are two national struggles – Jewish and Palestinian – in one sliver of land, both deserving lives in dignity and freedom. He can be true to democratic socialist values along with other parties in the world: French, Germans, Scandinavians, all have put political might and money behind ending the occupation and investing in civil society inside Israel and a future Palestine. Of course, freedom of speech must be defended, but language that makes many of us feel unsafe – and has in fact led to violence and even deaths on US soil of innocent Jews, who were murdered simply because they were Jews, must not be excused. I was a founder of the Democratic Socialists of America, resigning decades ago. I know that the democratic socialist movement can be one of liberation for all, and for certain, it can be one that promotes equity and fairness to all New Yorkers. I hope that Mamdani governs as his own person, inspired by the values for equality that propelled him to the mayoralty. The Democratic party is a big tent, but to keep our tent inclusive we must seek dialogue and reconciliation, not incitement, to ensure that Mamdani achieves an extraordinary accomplishment at a time when our democratic underpinnings as a nation are at risk. This is an opportunity to forge a new path forward. Jo-Ann Mort is co-author of Our Hearts Invented a Place: Can Kibbutzim Survive in Today's Israel? She writes frequently about Israel for US, UK, and Israeli publications
The Guardian
16-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
What should Jewish New Yorkers make of Zohran Mamdani?
While headlines would have you believe otherwise, Jewish New Yorkers supported Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral Democratic primary in droves. We showed up because our communities want to live and thrive alongside our neighbors in an affordable city where no one is left behind, and because we want a mayor who believes in Palestinian human rights. The organization I work for, Jewish Voice for Peace Action, endorsed Zohran the same day he launched his candidacy. Our volunteers knocked on more than 80,000 doors, made hundreds of thousands of calls, and raised tens of thousands in grassroots dollars. While Zohran ran a unifying campaign, Andrew Cuomo used Islamophobic fearmongering, false accusations of antisemitism and unwavering support for Israel's crimes in an attempt to divide our communities. It failed spectacularly. The Jewish community's opinion about Israel and US policy is diverse and shifting rapidly. A poll from last November showed 61% of Jews supported halting US weapons to Israel. Hundreds of thousands of Jews in the US are clear: the Israeli government is committing genocide and apartheid, and our government must stop funding it. Many Jewish New Yorkers alongside our neighbors are desperate for elected representatives brave enough to say the truth, and it is refreshing to see a politician like Zohran with consistent values, whose progressive politics do not stop at our city's borders. During a primary debate, every candidate was asked where they would first travel as mayor. Zohran replied that he would stay put in New York. When moderators bafflingly began interrogating him on visiting Israel, he replied that he need not travel abroad to understand Jewish New Yorkers. He would meet us in synagogues, on the subways and wherever else we are in the city. For many Jews watching, we felt seen in our lives, in our diversity, and in our concerns right where we live. And we felt relief to hear a candidate refuse to position New York Jews as a proxy for a government committing genocide. The Zohran campaign represents a broad coalition committed to justice and dignity. Progressive Jews are proudly part of this coalition and will fight alongside our neighbors for a New York for all. Beth Miller is the political director of Jewish Voice for Peace Action Elections are about choices. I didn't support Zohran Mamdani in the NYC democratic primary; I voted for Brad Lander for mayor. But now that Mamdani won, I am supporting him, despite some of his positions, particularly on Israel. I hope that he will understand that concerns like mine are real. Israel is more than a foreign policy issue for many New Yorkers. Mamdani refuses to say that the chant 'globalize the intifada' is dangerous, though he doesn't use it. But it instills fear in many of us. He also is a staunch supporter of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), a movement that insists on cutting off Israeli institutions, which are considered 'complicit', even institutions or individuals who work with Arab citizens of Israel and those who oppose the occupation, as many artists and academics do. Mamdani has an opportunity to detoxify the Israel/Palestine debate among the left and within the Democratic party. He should acknowledge that there are two national struggles – Jewish and Palestinian – in one sliver of land, both deserving lives in dignity and freedom. He can be true to democratic socialist values along with other parties in the world: French, Germans, Scandinavians, all have put political might and money behind ending the occupation and investing in civil society inside Israel and a future Palestine. Of course, freedom of speech must be defended, but language that makes many of us feel unsafe – and has in fact led to violence and even deaths on US soil of innocent Jews, who were murdered simply because they were Jews, must not be excused. I was a founder of the Democratic Socialists of America, resigning decades ago. I know that the democratic socialist movement can be one of liberation for all, and for certain, it can be one that promotes equity and fairness to all New Yorkers. I hope that Mamdani governs as his own person, inspired by the values for equality that propelled him to the mayoralty. The Democratic party is a big tent, but to keep our tent inclusive we must seek dialogue and reconciliation, not incitement, to ensure that Mamdani achieves an extraordinary accomplishment at a time when our democratic underpinnings as a nation are at risk. This is an opportunity to forge a new path forward. Jo-Ann Mort is co-author of Our Hearts Invented a Place: Can Kibbutzim Survive in Today's Israel? She writes frequently about Israel for US, UK, and Israeli publications
