DNC Chair Brushes Off Mamdani’s ‘Intifada’ Comments

Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin dismissed concerns from Jewish Democrats over New York City Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s refusal to explicitly condemn the slogan “globalize the intifada.” Mamdani, who won an upset victory over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary, caught flak for declining to condemn the slogan in the days leading up to the vote. According to reports, the slogan “globalize the intifada” has become a rallying cry for anti-Israel protesters in the United States ever since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attacks.

‘No Candidate I Agree With 100% of the Time’

During a recent interview, DNC Chair Martin was asked about concerns raised by Jewish Democrats about Mamdani’s comment, to which he replied, “There’s no candidate in this party that I agree 100% of the time with, to be honest with you. There’s things that I don’t agree with Mamdani that he said.” However, he added that “at the end of the day, I always believe, as a Democratic Party chair in Minnesota for the last 14 years, and now the chair of the DNC, that you win through addition. You win by bringing people into your coalition. We have conservative Democrats. We have centrist Democrats. We have labor progressives like me, and we have this new brand of Democrat, which is the leftist.” He further explained that the Democratic Party is a “big tent party” and that “we win by bringing people into that coalition.” Although he admitted that it leads to dissent, debate and a difference of opinion, “we should celebrate that as a party and recognize, at the end of the day, we’re better because of it.”

Mamdani’s Refusal to Condemn His ‘Intifada’ Comment

According to reports, Mamdani recently referred to the controversial “Intifada” slogan as “a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights.” While he refused to condemn the phrase, Mamdani vowed to be the type of mayor who “protects Jewish New Yorkers” if elected in November. Speaking with NBC’s Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press,” the NYC Mayoral candidate said, “That’s not language that I use. … The language that I use and the language that I will continue to use to lead this city is that which speaks clearly to my intent, which is an intent grounded in a belief in universal human rights.”

‘Why Not Just Condemn It?’

Welker repeatedly asked Mamdani during the interview whether he would condemn the “Intifada” slogan, and his answer has always been the same. However, he did acknowledge the growing anti-semitism in the U.S. and the anti-Jewish and anti-Israel sentiment associated with the slogan, and said that he had spoken with numerous Jewish New Yorkers about their fears of antisemitism, adding that he would be committing to increasing “anti-hate crime programming” in the city by 800%. “I’ve heard from many Jewish New Yorkers who have shared their concerns with me, especially in light of the horrific attacks that we saw in Washington, D.C. and in Boulder, Colorado, about this moment of antisemitism in our country and in our city. … And I’ve heard those fears, and I’ve had those conversations,” Mamdani told Welker. When the NBC correspondent asked him, “Why not just condemn it?” his reply was, “My concern is to start to walk down the line of language and making clear what language I believe is permissible or impermissible, takes me into a place similar to that of the president who is looking to do those very kinds of things, putting people in jail for writing an op-ed, putting them in jail for protesting. … Ultimately, it’s not language that I use, it’s language I understand there are concerns about, and what I will do is showcase my vision for this city through my words and my actions.”

Support from Noted Jewish Democrats

According to reports, New York Rep. Jerry Nadler, a Jewish Democrat, endorsed Mamdani’s Mayoral campaign following his victory in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary, calling his win “a seismic election for the Democratic Party that I can only compare to Barack Obama’s in 2008.” Senator Chuck Schumer, the Jewish Senate minority leader, congratulated Mamdani on social media but has not formally endorsed him. “He ran an impressive campaign that connected with New Yorkers about affordability, fairness [and] opportunity,” the senator wrote on X.

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