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October 26, 2025
Key Developments and What We're Discussing Today:
- New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani criticizes countries other than Israel, has denounced Hamas, and does not use and discourages the use of the phrase "globalize the intifada" (but rightly does not condemn it).
- He is not a Zionist. That does not make him antisemitic. His full-page ad (in Yiddish no less) makes clear his commitment to fighting antisemitism.
- Residents of New York City will decide which candidate is best for them. I don't know nearly enough about the issues facing New Yorkers to tell them who to vote for. I do know enough about Israel and antisemitism. After you read today's newsletter, you'll be relieved to know that if you live outside NYC and are concerned, as I am, about Israel and antisemitism, you needn't be concerned if Mamdani wins, most likely with a substantial share of the Jewish vote.
You're welcome to read for free, but if you get something out of this newsletter, you can give something back by credit card or PayPal, by Venmo @Steven-Sheffey, or by check. Thank you.
Greetings!
Our nationwide focus on the New York City mayoral race is a Republican dream come true. Instead of talking about Trump's daily assaults on our democracy, we're talking about a municipal election that should concern the residents of one city, not the entire country.
Yet many of you are genuinely concerned that Zohran Mamdani will become mayor of New York City. If I relied on the media that some of you rely on for your information, I'd be scared to death. I get it. None of us wants an antisemitic mayor anywhere, let alone in New York City.
I'm not asking you to agree with what follows. I'm only asking you to carefully consider the other side.
I'm not telling New Yorkers who to vote for. I don't know about affordability, housing, crime, free buses, or any of the other issues that New Yorkers need to worry about in their city. I don't know much about Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Silwa.
But regarding Mamdani, Israel, and antisemitism:
If you think Mamdani only criticizes Israel, take 90 seconds to watch this.
Mamdani has denounced Hamas.
If it's true that Mamdani would not use the IHRA definition to define antisemitism, then that's a point in his favor.
David Schraub and Mik Moore responded to Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove's sermon urging Jews to vote for Cuomo in the upcoming NYC mayoral election (and by extension, the letter from rabbis who cited Rabbi Cosgrove).
Mamdani does not use the phrase "globalize the intifada." He discourages its use. He won't condemn the phrase either. If you want to know why he is correct not to issue a blanket condemnation of a phrase that means different things to different people, here's everything you wanted to know about "globalize the intifada" but were afraid to ask.
If you think Cuomo is sensitive to Jewish concerns rather than playing to our fears, ask yourself why Cuomo seemed to compare the NYC mayoral election to the Holocaust. Most of us consider inappropriate Holocaust comparisons out of bounds.
What about Israel? Most people know that the mayor of New York City does not have a vote on the House Foreign Affairs Committee or the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. They know that the mayor does not sit on the National Security Council. They know that the mayor does not have a side hustle as head of the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.
Yet some are concerned about Mamdani's positions on Israel. Whether it matters or not, every New Yorker is entitled to vote for mayor for any reason they want. If they want a mayor who agrees with them on Israel, that's their right, regardless of its relevance to the job of mayor.
Mamdani is not a Zionist (he does not describe himself as anti-Zionist). He will not use Zionism as a hiring criterion (even Rabbi Cosgrove acknowledges as much in his sermon).
Anti-Zionism, let alone not being a Zionist, is not necessarily antisemitism. If your mind is made up, skip this section. If you, like me, are a Zionist open to understanding this issue, start with David Schraub's analysis.
Anti-Zionism can be antisemitic, but not always, explains Michelle Goldberg.
Shaul Magid explains why saying anti-Zionism is always antisemitic isn't just wrong, it's the problem.
Nexus produced a handy guide to when anti-Zionism is and is not antisemitic. It is clear that while many Jews might disagree with Mamdani's non-Zionism, it is not antisemitic.
A few weeks ago, in an email exchange, Emily Tamkin told me this:
"It's true that there are some who use 'Zionist' as a kind of code for Jew and for whom 'anti-Zionist' means Jews are not a people. But it's also true that there are those for whom anti-Zionism means believing Israel should not be an exclusively Jewish state, a belief they have come to because of Israel's history...
"[They believe that] in theory Zionism may be fine, but the lived experience of Palestinians has made it equivalent to dispossession and displacement, the right of one people to self-determination at the expense of another.
"And I think the problem with saying that anti-Zionism is necessarily antisemitic is that...it says that every person who supports, say, a binational confederation or one state with equal rights is doing so because they do not believe Jews are a people. It says that every Jew hears 'I'm an anti-Zionist' as a threat. These things are not true.
"When we say that anti-Zionism is antisemitism, we harden the categories. We assign thoughts to the anti-Zionist and, for that matter, to Jews. It is precisely the lived experience, the gray area where we actually exist, the chance to talk to one another and exchange ideas and disagree without trying to cancel one another's truths, that gets erased."
Not convinced? Read this thread from Dov Waxman. Read this article by Ken Stern, the lead author of the IHRA definition of antisemitism. It is simply not true that anti-Zionism, let alone non-Zionism, is always antisemitic.
In his endorsement of Mamdani, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said, “Mamdani has promised to focus on keeping every New Yorker safe, including the Jewish community… a promise strongly reaffirmed by his commitment to retaining current Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. That is the approach that this moment requires.”
But if only Mamdani himself would clarify his position on antisemitism. Wait--he has! Mamdani wrote an open letter to the Jewish community and published it as a full-page ad in Yiddish. This is what he said about antisemitism in that letter (translated into English for those not fluent in Yiddish):
"I am committed to doing everything in my power to root out the scourge of antisemitism. I know that the Jewish community is a top target for hate crimes, and it’s rising at a frightening rate. This is especially true for Orthodox Jews. That’s why I have committed to maintaining police protection at synagogues and Jewish institutions, while also increasing funding to combat antisemitism by 800%.
"I also believe that tolerance is not the end goal; celebration is. As mayor, I’ll fully fund and expand our city’s Hidden Voices program, which teaches students about some of the countless New Yorkers who have shaped our city’s history and identity."
Here is a translation of the entire letter.
Victor Kovner believes that Jews shouldn't be worried about Mamdani. To those who worry that Mamdani is the future of the Democratic Party, maybe you're right--but not for the reasons you fear.
Here's what else you need to know:
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Daniel Sokatch: "This is a moment of reckoning for many American Jews, whose institutions are either paralyzed or morally compromised in the face of the mass killing in Gaza. So what are the options for U.S. Jews who refuse to defend the indefensible, but won't abandon Israel either?"
- Every Senate Democrat except John Fetterman signed a letter led by Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) reiterating that "as longstanding supporters of Israel’s security and Palestinian aspirations for statehood, we are unified in our opposition to unilateral measures by either party that undermine the prospect of lasting peace through negotiations to achieve a two-state solution. That includes any steps by Israel to annex territory or expand settlements that prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.”
- A January 6 rioter pardoned by Trump was arrested for threatening to kill House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. No comment from Trump or other Republicans who wax sanctimoniously about political violence when it suits them.
Republican Antisemitism of the Week. This is a new feature. Republican antisemitism is so common that we don't consider it news anymore. That has to stop.
This week's loser is New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli. Last week, an aide to Ciattarelli said that his campaign did not take money from Jews. Rather than condemn him, Ciattarelli said the aide was a "very, very impressive man” who “hasn’t let me down one day.”
To make this manageable, this feature focuses on Republicans who hold or are the GOP nominee for federal or statewide office and who have said or done something antisemitic in the past week. I'd do the same for Democrats, but I'd have too many long stretches of nothing.
Tweets of the Week. Ace Frehley (via Todd Spence), Cameron Kasky, and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA).
Twitter Thread of the Week. Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL).
Video Clip of the Week. Maine Newspapers talking to Graham Platner yesterday.
Vintage Music Clip of the Week. The Romantics - What I Like About You.
The Fine Print. I read every reply to this newsletter. I reply as often as I can. All I ask is that you read the Fine Print before you reply or send me anything.
For those new to this newsletter. This is the newsletter even Republicans have to read and the original home of the viral and beloved Top Ten Signs You're At a Republican Seder (yes, I wrote it). If someone forwarded this newsletter to you, why not subscribe and get it in your inbox every Sunday? Just click here--it's free.
I periodically update my posts on the IHRA definition of antisemitism and on why Democrats are better than Republicans on Israel and antisemitism. My definition of "pro-Israel" is here (it's a work in progress, as am I).
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