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🔎 Mamdani’s delayed response to pro-Hamas chant draws scrutiny
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Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the pro-Palestinian protesters who chanted “We support Hamas here” outside a Queens synagogue on Friday.
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His response, which came nearly a day after the incident, drew criticism from Jews including some who have defended him in the past. Other politicians, including Gov. Kathy Hochul and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, denounced the rhetoric sooner.
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Pollster Adam Carlson said he was a “vocal and passionate” supporter of Mamdani, but the delay in responding was “hurtful” and “bad politics.”
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Mamdani’s comments marked the first time he described Hamas as a “terrorist” group. “Chants in support of a terrorist organization have no place in our city,” he said on X. “We will continue to ensure New Yorkers’ safety entering and exiting houses of worship as well as the constitutional right to protest.”
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Mamdani also fielded chiding from his pro-Palestinian supporters for condemning the protesters and not the event they targeted, which promoted real estate sales in a Jewish settlement in the West Bank.
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In response to a reporter’s question about that critique, he said, “I absolutely am in opposition to the sale of land in the occupied West Bank.”
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On Sunday, Mamdani denounced an arson attack on a synagogue in Jackson, Mississippi. A suspect has been arrested and federal agents are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.
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“I’m horrified by this violent act of antisemitism in Jackson,” Mamdani posted. “As hatred rears its ugly head across our nation, it is incumbent upon each of us to reject it with the unity it fears, and to stand steadfast alongside our Jewish brothers and sisters.”
🗳 From the campaign trail
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Morris Katz, a Jewish political strategist in his 20s who powered Mamdani’s campaign, has privately pushed the mayor to endorse Assemblyman Micah Lasher in the crowded race to replace retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler, reported the New York Post.
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Lasher, who is Jewish and considered Nadler’s preferred successor, has more moderate views on Israel than some of the other candidates.
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Lasher endorsed Mamdani after he won the mayoral Democratic primary, saying that he would be “among those urging Zohran to speak with clarity when it comes to rhetoric — including the invocation or celebration of intifada — that makes Jewish New Yorkers, or any community in our city, feel threatened.”
🕍 Menin at Park Avenue Synagogue
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NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin spoke at Park Avenue Synagogue during Kabbalat Shabbat on Friday.
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The synagogue’s leader, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, was among Mamdani’s most outspoken rabbinic critics during the mayoral election.
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“When it comes to fighting for our Jewish community, I promise I will be the leader that you can count on,” said Menin. “A leader who stands up to hate, who is not afraid to speak out, who will not cower in the face of fear, and who will not look away when it is uncomfortable or inconvenient.”
🚨 Orthodox Jew punched in the face on Shabbat
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An Orthodox Jewish man was punched in the face on Friday night in Williamsburg, reported Williamsburg 365. The case is being investigated by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force.
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The suspect, a 35-year-old woman, allegedly shouted antsemitic slurs during the attack. She has been charged with assault and aggravated harassment.
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The Jewish man, a member of Shomrim, was walking home with his wife and children. Hatzalah responded and treated him at the scene.
🍞 Breads Bakery’s unionization effort, explained
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Can Breads Bakery workers really demand that the Israeli owners cut ties with Israel? We asked labor experts to weigh in.
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Hundreds of fans of the bakery and pro-Israel activists flocked to its Upper West Side location on Friday, with some even offering to work there for free.
👀 Who is vetting Mamdani’s candidates?
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When a City Hall appointee resigned amid the surfacing of past antisemitic posts, Mamdani’s team said it would hire an outside firm to help vet candidates.
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According to City & State, Mamdani’s transition team paid $25,000 to the opposition research firm Tappan Research, along with $2,500 to the consultant Elizabeth Pena, for campaign consulting and “vetting consulting” after Catherine Almonte Da Costa stepped down.
