Last week, the Mayor of New York City called Jewish activists “genocidal” “monsters” who work to “turn people against each other.” He said it in a Knicks jersey, at the one moment New York City felt united, implying that Jewish New Yorkers weren’t welcome in the collective celebration.
Facing deep concern, Mayor Mamdani responded with the implication that a Jewish lobbying organization is “quite literally starving people.”No evidence. No explanation. Just the assertion that Jews are to blame for the suffering of other New Yorkers — while hundreds of thousands of Jewish New Yorkers live in poverty themselves.
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The campaign rally where Mamdani made these chilling comments had no connection to AIPAC or the Jewish community. And these are not new ideas.This is not critique of an advocacy group. This is a deep obsession with Jews.
Blaming “Zionists” for the suffering of others is one of the oldest and most violent anti-Jewish conspiracy theories in existence.
This murderous ideology was codified in The Protocols of the Elders of Zion in 1903, which inspired Hitler’s manifesto, Mein Kampf, and the annihilation of two-thirds of Europe’s Jews.
The Protocols predates the reestablished State of Israel by 45 years. It predates AIPAC’s founding by 51 years.
This narrative has never needed facts. It only ever needs a Jewish-coded scapegoat.
Scapegoating Jews leads to bloodshed. We cannot believe it needs TO BE SAID: THIS IS NOT PROGRESSIVE.
Jews make up 10% of the population of NYC but are the targets of 57% of hate crimes. Every 26 hours, another incident. A neighbor. A teacher. A parent on her way to shul. A child on his way to school.
Despite this, Mayor Mamdani revoked New York City’s definition of antisemitism on his first day in office and refused to provide any alternative. He actively erodes and vetoes legislative measures intended to keep Jews physically safe.
The Jewish community has experienced a century of safety and prosperity in America, relative both to Jewish history and to the experience of other marginalized groups. We are not victims. But we are being collectively victimized.
We also know the perception of Jewish privilege, and the ability to point to examples that “prove” the stereotypes true. But that is what prejudice is. And that is what dehumanization does: makes it easy to look away, convincing people that its’ targets can’t be vulnerable, or are not worthy of solidarity or protection. Even when one in five Jewish New Yorkers lives in poverty. Even when three in four are experiencing anti-Jewish bigotry.
It is an abomination for New York’s Mayor to call Jews subhuman for advocating for the Jewish state. No community should have their humanity stripped by the leader tasked with protecting them.
The person responsible for keeping every New Yorker safe is actively making one targeted group more afraid.
We know we are not the only community experiencing incitement from political leaders, or endangered by those in power.
We will continue to stand with all who experience state-sponsored fear. In this moment of vulnerability, we ask righteous allies to stand with us.