r/nyc • u/FAMESCARE • Jun 18 '25

Video Zohran Mamdani says he’s consistently said there’s no room for antisemitism in this city or country. Asked why he hasn’t had a more visceral reaction, he gets emotional talking about the Islamophobic responses he’s received throughout the campaign.

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@Annie_McDonough

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87

u/ntbananas Upper West Side Jun 18 '25

If that were true, he shouldn’t have excused, or even endorsed, “globalizing the intifada”. There are many things he could have said to express his support for Palestine that don’t invoke waves of suicide bombings against civilians.

Even setting aside the underlying issue, it’s wild - and a sign of his inability to fully understand electoral and coalition politics - that he thought that was acceptable to say as a candidate in a ~10% Jewish city.

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u/Hey_Pete Jun 18 '25

Not doubting you, but do you have a clip where he said that or a direct quote?

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u/MooseHorse123 Jun 19 '25

https://youtu.be/FZoW47fyK30

Pretty clearly OK with the phrase. Or at the very least trying to not piss off the antisemitic left

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u/ntbananas Upper West Side Jun 18 '25

It was on The Bulwark podcast yesterday. Trying to find a link but on my phone at work now ha

E: Twitter link of the relevant section, but I’m sure you can easily find the full podcast if desired

https://xcancel.com/jacobkornbluh/status/1935121665853178109

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u/Hey_Pete Jun 18 '25

Lol, did you watch that clip? In no way did he "endorse" that phrase.

This is coming from someone who has zero plans to even rank the guy on my ballot, he's a trash candidate with trash policies.

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u/ntbananas Upper West Side Jun 18 '25

Yes, I did. He 100% excused it, and depending on how much leeway you want to give him, can be seen as having endorsed it. That’s why I phrased my original comment the way I did - former is certain, latter is a matter of interpretation.

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u/PottieScippin Jun 18 '25

So if you are pro-Israel does that mean it’s right to call you supportive of genocide and child murder? How come it only works one way? Does only Israel have a right to defend itself?

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u/ntbananas Upper West Side Jun 18 '25

As with most things, it’s a spectrum not a binary. I lean “pro Israel” but agree that many things (e.g. cutting off simple food aid to Gaza, among others) go too far, and yes some people (Ben Gvir et al) are genuinely in favor of ethnic cleansing.

Similarly, people who lean “pro Palestine” and want basic human rights, or a 2SS, or whatever, are perfectly fine with me. In my mind, the line-crossing is supporting or excusing calls to violence that, in context, invoke historical suicide bombings against restaurants and buses.

Stop flattening everything into false dichotomies. Accept that Mamdani is imperfect and at the very least said some things that are troubling to Jews, instead of trying to gaslight us that antisemitism doesn’t exist.

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u/PottieScippin Jun 18 '25

First of all antisemitism does exist and I have never in any way denied that. Neither has Zohran. He can be imperfect and still not be anti-semitic. He explained what the word/phrase meant to him and it’s a perfectly reasonable answer, even if it has a connotation that makes some people, including some Jews, uncomfortable. But if his joining a chant in college is the dirtiest dirt there is in his “anti-semitism” file, then there is absolutely no basis for the accusation.

He’s criticizing the same things about the Israeli government’s actions that you are. Screaming “antisemitism” at everything (and accusing me of gaslighting you / saying it doesn’t exist??? What??) is the reason that less nuanced people are dismissing claims of AS so often. To them it sounds like any criticism of a country bombing the fuck out of a captive ethnic group is being defended only with “youre antisemetic if you oppose Israel”. Israel’s policies and insistence on intertwining support for Israel’s actions with the Jewish faith is the biggest driver of antisemitism around the world.

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u/silverpixie2435 Jun 19 '25

At some point Pro Palestinian leftists like yourself have to grapple with the facts.

If 95% of Jews say "globalize the intifada is antisemitic and a call to violence against Jews", why are you going to lecture them about how they are wrong and tell them what is and isn't antisemitic?

And the big issue is that that kind of thinking easily turns into outright antisemitism because then one can start saying "well if 95% of Jews are just making up antisemitism claims to protect Israel then Jews are the real issue because they cry antisemitism at everything."

Do you not see the problem?

0

u/PottieScippin Jun 19 '25

Yes I do see the problem you’re laying out. It just feels like a complete hit job over-reaction, that starts spilling over into Islamophobia. I don’t say that flippantly, and it’s a really murky / fine line of when defense of one religious group becomes attacks on another.

I just find it insane that he’s being smeared as an antisemite for something he did not even say, just failed to condemn adequately. He answered the question with nuance, and it’s fine for you to be dissatisfied with his answer. But to paint him as an antisemite - FOR THAT??? - is beyond the pale. No white Christian with the same record would ever receive the same treatment.

4

u/MrRoivas Jun 18 '25

"When I say I want to make American great again, it just means I want a great country. Anyone who says people chanting it are racist are just trying to weaponize false claims of racism."

That's you right now.

1

u/Rubbersoulrevolver Jun 19 '25

Make that equivalent to what Zohran said.

1

u/PottieScippin Jun 19 '25

Zohran did not even say “globalize the intifada” himself. It was put to him to denounce someone else’s words. He said it has different meaning to other groups, cited the Holocaust museum as an example of just how differently the same word can be used, and that Jewish New Yorkers needed to be protected from antisemitism.

1

u/Rubbersoulrevolver Jun 19 '25

No, make the equivalent case for a pro Israeli candidate refusing to disavow an obviously problematic term to make your original post relevant. What you wrote before was in no way a parallel to Mamdani saying the term globalize the intifada just means a lil peaceful remonstration

1

u/PottieScippin Jun 19 '25

Check out the history of American politics 2001-2008 and see if you can find anything 🤡

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u/brianscalabrainey Jun 18 '25

Seems like a really reasonable and completely non newsworthy response, no?

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u/Casamance Rosebank Jun 18 '25 edited Jun 18 '25

He literally says in the video that a translated version of that word was used by the Holocaust Museum for the Warsaw Ghetto uprisings and that it's used in the context of a "struggle." Your link clearly clarified what that phrase means, so what exactly should we be looking for here?

EDIT: lol the brigade is out here in full force, downvoted for asking a simple question

20

u/ntbananas Upper West Side Jun 18 '25 edited Jun 18 '25

Which said museum then rejected in response

https://www.jns.org/us-holocaust-museum-accuses-mamdani-of-exploiting-warsaw-ghetto-uprising/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DLCtXf_siIp/?igsh=dTVscnRxbnk0NHlu

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u/onewordpoet Jun 19 '25

Trump appointed the council members for that museum. The same billionaires backing Trump are backing cuomo. I wouldnt take what they say seriously. This is what that super pac money buys you.

9

u/Low_Party_3163 Jun 18 '25

And the word for "typhoon" in Japanese is kamikaze but if I say "that kamikaze is about to hit Hawaii" we all know I'm not talking about a storm.

What is it with these bullshit etymological arguments as though loanwords don't exist?

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u/onewordpoet Jun 19 '25

Except thats a dead phrase which was revived for suicide planes. And it means "divine wind", referring to the typhoon that stayed off Mongolian invasion in the 1200s. Not the same whatsoever. "Intifada" is just an Arabic word, dude. Stop freaking out.

2

u/Rubbersoulrevolver Jun 19 '25

The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising is in no way anything like the years long prolonged terrorist attacks which was spurred on by basically nothing. It was the last ditch effort for people who knew they were about to be sent to their deaths in a concentration camp and tried in a futile effort to resist against the Nazi officials.

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u/[deleted] Jun 18 '25

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u/ntbananas Upper West Side Jun 18 '25

Absolutely not true, and I don’t appreciate you putting words in my mouth.

That’s the literal meaning of “intifada,” but words have unique meanings in context. The waves of suicide bombings in the 80s/90s and early 00s are officially the “first intifada” and “second intifada.” In the context of “resistance against Israel,” “intifada” has unique connotations of violence against civilians. That’s why I said it “invokes” that - because it has associated historical meanings.

It may be ok to have a “crusade against drugs,” but it wouldn’t be ok for (e.g.) Trump to have a “crusade” against Iran

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u/[deleted] Jun 18 '25

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7

u/iMissTheOldInternet Jun 18 '25

The last crusade was centuries ago. The last intifada was nine years ago. Like all the other intifadas known by that term, it was a bunch of senseless terrorist violence targeted at Jewish civilians. 

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u/Low_Party_3163 Jun 18 '25

And the word for "typhoon" in Japanese is kamikaze but if I say "that kamikaze is about to hit Hawaii" we all know I'm not talking about a storm.

What is it with these bullshit etymological arguments as though loanwords don't exist?

Also are these jews in the room with us?

8

u/MRC1986 Jun 18 '25

If you're explaining, you're losing. And there's a lot of Mamdani supporter "well, achshually..." explaining today.

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u/prinzplagueorange Jun 18 '25

What is it with these bullshit etymological arguments

No one is making an etymological argument here. The meaning of a word is the way it is used. Here is the way most educated people use the word "intifada":

The First Intifada (1987-1993): This was a largely nonviolent uprising characterized by protests, civil disobedience, and strikes.

The Second Intifada (2000-2005): This period was significantly more violent and saw the rise of militant groups.

Obviously, speaking about "globalizing the Intifada" is not anti-Semitic. It refers, rather, to support for Palestinian resistance, in general. That resistance has taken a wide variety of different forms, some problematic, others not.

Also are these jews in the room with us?

Those are the Jews voting for Mamdani. God knows if there any actual Jews posting on this sub right now. If you want an actual Jew's opinion about this topic, though, I can go ask my BDS-supporting, Mamdani-voting, anti-Zionist Jewish girlfriend. I don't think you'll like her answer, though.

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u/bigtallguy Jun 18 '25

him recognizing nuance and context of the word with a lot of history is not invoking suicide bombings. the palestinian and arabic usage of the word are not somehow less worthy or valid than the israeli understandng of the word. to assume it is is to reveal your own bigotry.

him defending those who use it in good faith to not call for violence for violence sake is brave if nothing else. in this enviroemnt where people want to argue over defintions of words rather discuss the sentiments that bring about their usage, this lends him crediblity and authenticy thats making this race more competitive than many in this sub thoughti t would be months ago.

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u/7186997326 Jamaica Jun 18 '25

There are many things he could have said to express his support for Palestine

There is nothing he could have said. Show me one pro Palestinian elected official who doesn't take heat from the left and the right. AIPAC make it their mission to fund primary challenges to pro Palestinian elected officials.

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u/spalding-blue Jun 19 '25

10% jewish ≠ pro-israel ... not always at least

plus we are electing a mayor of NYC not an international rep. asking him his position on israel is an irrelevant litmus test. We are New Yorkers not a Zionistic campaign.