Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, has reignited a contentious debate over his comments about Israel by resurfacing a video clip that claims ‘Israel is not a place, it is not a country.’ These remarks, first made during a January 2024 panel on Palestinian solidarity, have drawn sharp criticism, particularly from conservatives and Republicans, who argue that his statements undermine the legitimacy of the state of Israel and risk inflaming tensions in the region.
As a frontrunner in the race for mayor of New York, a city with one of the largest Jewish populations in the U.S., Mamdani’s comments have sparked widespread concern among Jewish community leaders and residents. Critics from both political parties have expressed dismay over his refusal to condemn the notion of ‘globalizing the intifada,’ a term often associated with calls for violence against Jews. His latest statements have further intensified scrutiny of his position on the Israel-Palestine conflict, with many viewing them as an attempt to sow division within American politics.
During the panel discussion, Mamdani criticized the American political establishment’s support for Israel’s actions in Gaza, arguing that many politicians are still adhering to outdated views. He claimed that, for many people, Israel functions more as an idea than a physical country, leading to a disconnected and outdated form of political discourse. This has fueled accusations of political hypocrisy, with critics arguing that such statements risk alienating a significant portion of the electorate and damaging the credibility of the Democratic Party in a city where Jewish communities are a key voting bloc.