Rhetoric Encourages Hostility, Threatens Jewish Safety
More than 650 rabbis warned Wednesday that the election of democratic socialist leader Zohran Mamdani would endanger “the safety and dignity of Jews in every city,” citing his refusal to condemn “the globalization of the Intifada,” the denial of Israel’s legitimacy and allegations of “genocide,” according to a letter released by the Jewish Majority.
In the open letter titled “A Rabbinical Call to Action: Defending the Jewish Future,The signatories said they “cannot remain silent in the face of rising anti-Zionism and its political normalization throughout our nation,” adding that when public figures like Mamdani refuse to condemn violent slogans, deny Israel’s legitimacy and accuse the Jewish state of genocide, they “delegitimize the Jewish community and encourage and exacerbate hostility towards Judaism and Jews.
Citing Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, president of the New York Board of Rabbis, the letter warned that such rhetoric “delegitimizes the Jewish community and encourages and exacerbates hostility toward Judaism and Jews,” crossing the line between political debate and harm to the community.
Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove of the Park Avenue Synagogue, also quoted in the letter, said Zionism and Jewish self-determination are “inseparable strands” of Jewish identity. “Zionism, Israel, Jewish self-determination – these are not political preferences or partisan talking points,” he said. “These are constitutive and inseparable elements of my Jewish identity… Accepting me as a Jew but asking me to highlight my concern for the people and the State of Israel is an absurd and offensive proposition. »
“We will not accept a culture that views Jewish self-determination as a negotiable ideal or Jewish inclusion as something that must be ‘granted,’” the rabbis wrote. “The safety and dignity of Jews in every city depends on rejecting this false choice. »
The letter urges Americans “who value peace and equality” to defend candidates who reject anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric and to affirm Israel’s right to exist in peace and security.
He also called on interfaith and community partners “to stand with the Jewish community to reject this dangerous rhetoric and affirm the right of Jews to live in safety and dignity.”
Published shortly before Wednesday night’s debate, the warning was issued in the run-up to early voting, with signatories emphasizing what they called the urgent need to counter the normalization of anti-Zionism in public life.
“Now is the time for everyone to unite across political and moral divides and reject language that seeks to delegitimize our Jewish identity and community,” the letter concludes.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
