Zohran Mamdani declines to condemn 'globalize the intifada'. "That's not the language that I use." [View all]

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Sunday again declined to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada” but emphasized he would be a mayor “that protects Jewish New Yorkers” if elected in November.

“That’s not language that I use,” Mamdani told NBC’s Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press.” “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.

Mamdani, who last week scored an upset victory in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, took heat for declining to condemn the phrase in the days leading up to the vote.

But rather than reject the phrase, he told Welker “we have to root out that bigotry” and pointed to his campaign’s commitment to increase funding for anti-hate crime programming by 800 percent. Mamdani will face off against beleaguered New York City Mayor Eric Adams — and perhaps Cuomo again — in November.

“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,” Mamdani told Welker. “And I’ve heard those fears, and I’ve had those conversations.”



https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/29/zohran-mamdani-globalize-the-intifada-00432052