19 hours ago
NYC's 'communist' mayoral hopeful refuses to condemn lightning rod phrase during painful on-air interview
New York City mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani repeatedly refused to condemn the phrase 'globalize the intifada' in a painful on-air interview.
Mamdani, 33, a self-described socialist who won the Democratic primary for the mayorship last week, dodged the question several times when grilled by NBC's Kristen Welker over his views on the inflammatory phrase.
'Globalize the intifada' is considered by many to be a call for violence against Israeli and Jewish people around the world, and has often been heard chanted at anti-Israel protests in the US, including Mamdani's own rallies.
In an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press, Mamdani repeatedly said he was not comfortable 'banning' the phrase, which was not what Welker asked, leading the exasperated interviewer to ask: 'Why not just condemn it?'
'That's not language that I use,' Mamdani said.
'The language that I use and the language that I will continue to use to lead this city is that which speaks clearly to my intent, which is an intent grounded in a belief in universal human rights.
'And ultimately, that's what is the foundation of so much of my politics, the belief that freedom and justice and safety are things that, to have meaning, have to be applied to all people, and that includes Israelis and Palestinians as well.'
Mamdani has faced growing backlash following his surprise win in the Democratic primary, compounded by his plans to raise taxes on 'whiter neighborhoods', defund the police, and open government-run grocery stores.
In the interview with Welker, she brought up Mamdani's past refusal to condemn 'globalize the intifada' on several other media appearances.
When asked earlier this month on The Bulwark podcast about the phrase, he said he saw it as one that captured 'a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights.'
After Mamdani dodged Welker's first question about the phrase, she asked him again: 'But do you actually condemn it?
'I think that's the question and the outstanding issue that a number of people, both of the Jewish faith and beyond, have. Do you condemn that phrase, 'globalize the intifada,' which a lot of people hear as a call to violence against Jews?' Welker asked.
Mamdani responded: 'I've heard from many Jewish New Yorkers who have shared their concerns with me, especially in light of the horrific attacks that we saw in Washington, D.C. and in Boulder, Colorado about this moment of antisemitism in our country and in our city.
'And I've heard those fears, and I've had those conversations. And ultimately, they are part and parcel of why, in my campaign, I've put forward a commitment to increase funding for anti-hate crime programming by 800%.'
Exploiting the Museum and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising to sanitize 'globalize the intifada' is outrageous and especially offensive to survivors. Since 1987 Jews have been attacked and murdered under its banner. All leaders must condemn its use and the abuse of history.
— US Holocaust Museum (@HolocaustMuseum) June 18, 2025
Mamdani also claimed that the word 'intifada' has been 'used by the Holocaust Museum when translating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising into Arabic', a remark that led to a blistering rebuke from The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
In an X post, the museum wrote: 'Exploiting the Museum and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising to sanitize 'globalize the intifada' is outrageous and especially offensive to survivors. Since 1987 Jews have been attacked and murdered under its banner. All leaders must condemn its use and the abuse of history.'
Mamdani referred to President Trump's detention of pro-Palestinian protester Mahmoud Khalil as an example of how he doesn't 'believe that the role of the mayor is to police speech.'
'And we have to root out that bigotry, and ultimately we do that through the actions. And that is the mayor I will be, one that protects Jewish New Yorkers and lives up to that commitment through the work that I do.'
Welker asked again: 'But very quickly for the people who care about the language and who feel really concerned by that phrase, why not just condemn it?'
Although he was not asked about banning the phrase, Mamdani repeated his belief that he does not think that as mayor he should discuss 'what language I believe is permissible or impermissible.'
'Ultimately, it's not language that I use. It's language I understand there are concerns about. And what I will do is showcase my vision for this city through my words and my actions.'
The car-crash interview responses came as Mamdani has faced growing pressure to condemn the phrase, with New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand slamming the mayoral hopeful in an interview on Thursday.
Speaking to WNYC radio host Brian Lehrer on Thursday, Gillibrand said the phrase calls for the 'slaughter of the jews', and said she finds Mamdani 'alarming.'
Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries also spoke out against Mamdani this week, telling ABC's This Week that the phrase is 'not acceptable.'
The 33-year-old has faced mounting questions about his experience since he gained traction and ultimately won the Democratic primary, with his only public service work coming as a state assemblyman.
In the state assembly, Mamdani promoted few bills, and his legislative record includes co-sponsoring bills requiring prisons to house inmates based on their self-declared gender, preventing law enforcement from asking about a perp's immigration status, and forcing small businesses to make their product packaging eco-friendly.
Mamdani has described himself as 'Trump's worst nightmare', and his far-left policy platform sharply divided the nation as he gained traction in the mayor's race.
He says he wants to raise taxes on the top one percent of New York earners - something the mayor does not have the authority to do - and make a number of city services free including childcare and buses.
The city assemblyman has also proposed spending $65 million on transgender care, including for minors, freezing rent on rent-stabilized apartments, and creating city-owned grocery stores.
He has also advocated for defunding the city's police department, defended pro- Palestine slogans like 'globalize the intifada' - which critics say is an anti-Semitic call for the destruction of Israel - and said he would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
