Mamdani’s election as mayor of New York City has ushered in an intense wave of antisemitic violence.
By Rachel Avraham
As anti-Israel activist Zohran Mamdani becomes mayor of New York, several Jewish institutions were sprayed with swastikas in Manhattan. The Magen David Yeshiva, which also functions as a Jewish Day School, a Jewish cemetery and the Jewish social services organization were targeted, according to state Sen. Sam Sutton, CBS news reported.
“Why? Simply because they stand for Judaism,” Sutton said. “This is something completely unacceptable in our state.” One member of the congregation that hosts the yeshiva said, “I feel very angry, very bad. My grandchildren [are] over here, so I feel they are not [safe] over here. A parent who lives near the cemetery said, “I’m afraid that people will put their head up and will be more confident, that it’s more acceptable.”
Arutz Sheva reported that New York Governor Kathy Hochul confirmed that the yeshiva was one of several Jewish sites defaced on Tuesday night. “I strongly condemn this hateful display of antisemitism,” Hochul wrote on X. According to CBS News, the swastikas were drawn in red spray paint.
Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams also condemned the incident, stating: “Antisemitism has no place in our schools, our government, or our city, but it’s sadly what happens when too many normalize antisemitic rhetoric.” CBS News reported that Assemblyman Michael Novakhov said there has been a rise in antisemitism in the last few months and he’s concerned it’s tied to the topic of Israel’s existence, which came up during the mayoral election.
According to Arutz Sheva, the United Jewish Appeal Federation of New York expressed outrage and said it was working with local law enforcement. “This act is a painful reminder of the rising tide of antisemitism that continues to threaten Jewish communities across New York,” the organization stated.
As New York City prepared to elect a mayor who refused to condemn the phrase “globalize the Intifada,” who declines to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)’s working definition of antisemitism, and who was highly critical of Israel within days of the October 7th massacre, Arutz Sheva revealed that newly published data by the New York City Police Department reveals that Jews were the victims in 62% of all hate crimes reported last month, with 29 antisemitic incidents out of a total of 47.
Arutz Sheva noted that while Jews are consistently the most targeted group in the city, the latest figures reflect a particularly sharp spike in the proportion of antisemitic attacks in the period leading up to Mamdani’s election. In the wake of Tuesday’s election, Arutz Sheva reported that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) launched a comprehensive initiative to monitor the administration of Mamdani. According to the report, the ADL expressed alarm over Mamdani’s past associations and rhetoric, which it says promote antisemitic narratives and reflect hostility toward the State of Israel.
Photo from Dmitryshein: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zohran_Mamdani#/media/File:Zohran_Mamdani_05.25.25_(b)_(cropped).jpg
