From Anti-Modi Rhetoric To ‘Globalize Intifada’: New York City's Mayoral Contender Zohran Mamdani Draws Fire Over Divisive Politics

New York City Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, currently polling second in the Democratic primary for mayor, is facing mounting backlash after refusing to condemn the controversial phrase “globalize the intifada” during a podcast appearance this week.

When asked about the phrase, Mamdani said, “Ultimately, what I hear in so many is a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights,” declining to denounce it directly.

His comments triggered swift condemnation from prominent US Jewish lawmakers and organisations.

Representative Dan Goldman, a Jewish Democrat from New York, responded sharply: “If Mr. Mamdani is unwilling to heed the request of major Jewish organizations to condemn this unquestionably antisemitic phrase, then he is unfit to lead a city with 1.3 million Jews.”

Representative Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey called Mamdani’s remarks “pathetic, hateful lies” and demanded an apology, describing the comments as “a blatant slap in the face of the Jewish community.”

Representative Ritchie Torres labeled Mamdani’s stance “not only disgraceful. It is disqualifying.”

The UJA-Federation of New York also weighed in, stating, “ ‘Globalize the intifada’ is not a call for justice. It is a call for antisemitic violence.”

When asked about the growing outrage, Mamdani responded, “There’s no room for antisemitism in this city and this country.”

However, he did not apologize or retract his earlier defense of the phrase.

Becoming visibly emotional, he claimed that he has received threats due to his Muslim identity.

During the podcast, Mamdani attempted to contextualise the term, claiming the phrase “intifada” appears in the Arabic translation of “uprising” at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, in reference to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

However, the museum issued a rare political statement in response: “Exploiting the museum and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising to sanitize ‘Globalize the Intifada’ is outrageous and especially offensive to survivors.”

While the word intifada literally means “uprising” or “shaking off” in Arabic, it is widely associated with the Second Intifada, a violent campaign of attacks against Jewish Israelis during the early 2000s.

Mamdani, a vocal critic of Israel, has become a prominent figure in New York’s progressive circles.

Mamdani is the son of Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair and was born and raised in Kampala, Uganda, before moving to New York City with his family at the age of seven. His father, Mahmood Mamdani, an Ugandan, has roots in Gujarat.

Indian-origin American leaders and activist have accused Mamdani of using communal rhetoric after he condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and compared him with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu over the 2002 Gujarat riots, according to the New York Post.

The controversy was triggered after a 15 May event, in which the 33-year-old Mamdani also said people were "shocked" when he revealed he was a Gujarati Muslim.

Jennifer Rajkumar slammed Mamdani and said divisive politics has no place in the New York mayoral poll, especially when there were pressing local issues to be addressed.

"At a time when New Yorkers are struggling with real issues–rising crime, a housing crisis, and growing hate–we cannot afford to be distracted by extreme, divisive language about foreign leaders," The New York Post quoted Rajkumar as saying.

"Hinduism is a faith of peace, nonviolence, and interfaith harmony. Hindu voters want our leaders to build bridges—not burn them. We must reject hate—whether it comes from the far left or the far right. Our city deserves leaders who unite, not provoke—who build coalitions, not headlines," Rajkumar added.

Jaspreet Singh, who is also a human rights lawyer, also condemned Mamdani for the "hatred comment".

"Hate has no place in our city. We believe in equality, love, and respect for all. We believe all are children of the same God," Singh said.

"But Zohran has used his platform to amplify some of the worst anti-Hindu rhetoric imaginable. Words matter, and instead of uniting the Indian community, he seeks to divide us by religion, pitting Muslims and Hindus against each other. Associating Hindus with fascism and using derogatory words against them is highly objectionable," he added.

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