Zohran Mamdani says mayors shouldn’t ‘police speech’ when asked to condemn ‘globalize the intifada’ slogan
Zohran Mamdani, the alleged democratic candidate in the New York town hall race, again bypassed an opportunity to condemn the expression “globalizing the intifada”, saying that the mayors should not “police speech”.
“It is not a language that I use,” said Mamdani when he was asked if he condemns the sentence, which is widely considered by Jewish groups as offensive and anti -Semitic, on NBC News’ “Meet The Press”. “The language I use and the language I will continue to use to direct the city is that which clearly speaks of my intention, which is an intention based on a belief in universal human rights.”
Mamdani added: “In the end, this is what is the foundation of a large part of my policy, the conviction that freedom, justice and security are things that have a meaning, must be applied to all, and that includes Israelis and Palestinians.”
In response to a second direct question of the moderator of “meet the press”, Kristen Welker, to know if he condemns the sentence, Mamdani said that he heard many Jewish New Yorkers who shared their concerns about the sentence.
“I heard these fears, and I had these conversations, and finally, they are an integral part of the reason why in my campaign, I put forward at 800% a commitment to increase the financing of the anti-hate criminal programming,” replied Mamdani, once again relevant on the direct issue of sentence.
“I do not believe that the role of the mayor is in police speech,” he added.
When asked why it would not be easier to condemn the sentence, than many Jewish organizations condemned and labeled anti -Semitic, Mamdani told Welker: “My concern is, to start walking on the language line and to clarify the language I think is allowed or waterproof takes in a place similar to that of the president.”
Mamdani underlined several students, such as Rumeysa Öztürk and Mahmoud Khalil, who were detained by the Trump administration earlier this year after having written or protested against Israel and in favor of those who live in Gaza.
“In the end, it is not a language that I use, it is a language which I understand that there are concerns, and what I will do is present my vision of the city through my words and my actions,” added Mamdani.
Mamdani’s refusal to condemn the sentence made the headlines in the last days preceding the primary democratic mayor. In an interview with The Bulwark published on June 17, Mamdani was asked if the expression “Globalize the Intifada” had made it uncomfortable.
He replied, saying that this reflects: “A desperate desire for equality and equality of rights to defend Palestinian human rights”.
In the same interview, he described the recent increase in anti -Semitism “a real problem in our city” that the next mayor should focus on the “tackle”.
The Jewish organizations and civil servants quickly spoken against the sentence, with Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the anti-diploma league, writing in an article on X, “Globalize The Iifada is an explicit call for violence. Globalize the famous intifada and glorifies savagery and the terroris which have been targeted simply because of their identity.
In a declaration at the time, the representative Dan Goldman, Dn.y., who represents parts of New York, had to afflict Mamdani, saying: “If Mr. Mamdani is not willing to take into account the request of large Jewish organizations to condemn this greater anti -Semitic Jewish sentence, then at the origin of Israel.”
On Saturday, Goldman said in a later declaration that he had since met Mamdani. “I explained why Jewish New Yorkers do not feel safe in the city and that, as he continues this campaign, he must not only condemn anti-Jewish hatred and calls them to violence, but clearly indicate that as mayor, he would take proactive measures to protect all New York and make us secure,” he said.
“I appreciate Zohran’s desire to contact me, to get involved and to listen to myself, and I can’t wait to continue the dialogue on our mutual desire to move this city in a positive direction,” added Goldman.
Mandani also discussed President Donald Trump’s comments this week on Sunday, who included Trump calling the allegedly nominated at the Democrat town hall a “communist”.
“I cannot believe that it happens. This is a terrible thing for our country, by the way. He is a communist,” Trump told the journalists in the White House on Friday. “We are going to go to a communist – so it’s so bad for New York, but the rest of the country revolts against this.”
Mamdani said on Sunday that “I’m not a” communist.
“”I have already had to start getting used to it, to get used to the fact that the president will speak of my appearance, the way I appear, from where I am, who I am, finally, because he wants to distract from what I fight, and I fight for the very working people that he has led a campaign to empowers, that he has since betrayed, “added Mamdani.
