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NEW YORK, New York (WCBS) — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Sunday responded to criticism that he’s fueling antisemitism.
He did so as Jewish New Yorkers rallied on Manhattan’s Upper West Side against antisemitism and hate in the wake of the stabbing of a Jewish man and Asian man in the neighborhood last week.
Mamdani is “throwing gasoline on the fire,” New Yorker says
Protesters rallied against Mamdani and a video he released earlier this week in which he conceded he does not have authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He instead called on the federal government to arrest him.
“Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City,” Mamdani says on the video.
Some Jewish New Yorkers at Sunday’s rally did not take too kindly to the footage they saw.
“That is an inciteful video inciting violence,” Lizzy Savetsky said.
“You, Mamdani, are throwing gasoline on the fire, pitting one community against the other,” another person said.
“It’s important to come here today to show we will not be silenced,” Ari Afilalo said.
Mamdani responds, as do his defenders
CBS News New York’s Ali Bauman asked the mayor for his response to New Yorkers who feel he is fanning the flames of antisemitism.
“I would say first and foremost there’s no tolerance for antisemitism in this city. We have to root out antisemitism from across the five boroughs and that’s because the city is one that has no room for hate or bigotry of any kind, and when we make criticisms of a nation state or policies, we have to remember those are criticisms of exactly that — never of a people, never of a faith,” Mamdani said.
The rally was met with counter-protesters defending the mayor.
“People are against Jews not because of Judaism. They’re against Jews because of what the Zionists are doing and they think Jews are responsible. He is doing a job to clarify that it’s not Judaism. He is doing the Jews a favor,” said Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss, of the group Jews United Against Zionism.
51-year-old arrested in UWS stabbings
Raul Morales, 51, was arraigned on two counts of second-degree attempted murder as a hate crime in the attack on the two men.
The Department of Justice says its Civil Rights Division, along with the NYPD, is investigating the double stabbing. Both victims are expected to survive. The suspect is being held without bail.
The latest NYPD data shows about a 2% increase in anti-Jewish hate crimes citywide so far this year.
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