Brace yourself for a glimpse into the fiery rhetoric of a New York political figure as a 2021 video resurfaces, showing State Representative and mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani passionately advocating against Israel at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York City.
The New York Times reported that this footage, obtained by The Post through the Investigative Project on Terrorism, a nonprofit research group, reveals Mamdani criticizing city officials for backing Israel while leading chants for boycotts, divestment, and sanctions—commonly known as BDS—against the state.
Back in the spring of 2021, Mamdani took to the streets of NYC, not just to speak but to rally a crowd with calls to end U.S. aid to Israel, which he pegged at $3.8 billion annually.
He argued that this money was being diverted from pressing domestic needs like housing and education. It’s a classic case of prioritizing foreign policy over hometown struggles, or so he claims.
At this same 2021 event, Mamdani didn’t shy away from his activist past, proudly noting he co-founded the first Students for Justice in Palestine group at Bowdoin College during his student years from 2010 to 2014.
That organization, for context, has been at the forefront of anti-Israel campus protests, especially after the tragic Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, which claimed 1,200 Israeli lives.
The rally wasn’t just a soapbox for Mamdani; protestors waved signs demanding an end to all aid to Israel and even called for an “Intifada Revolution,” a phrase tied to uprisings and the destruction of the Jewish state. One wonders if such slogans truly advance peace or simply stoke division.
Mamdani also framed himself as a “proud socialist” aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, a group that endorses BDS and supports his mayoral bid. He seems to see no separation between local fights and international causes, which might leave some New Yorkers questioning where his priorities truly lie.
Adding fuel to the fire, Mamdani shared the stage with controversial figures like Siraj Wahhaj, a Brooklyn imam linked as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and a character witness for the terrorist behind it.
Mamdani has recently faced criticism for campaigning alongside Wahhaj, raising eyebrows about the company he keeps.
Another speaker, Raja Abdulhaq, a pro-Palestinian activist who has openly called for the destruction of both Israel and the U.S., also addressed the crowd in 2021. Abdulhaq, a BDS supporter, later joined the pro-Hamas encampment at Columbia University in April 2024, according to reports.
Let’s not forget Mamdani’s own words at the rally: “$3.8 billion dollars every year sent from the United States to Israel…while our family here are homeless, while our family here do not have money for schools,” he declared.
It’s a powerful soundbite, but it sidesteps the complex reasons for U.S. foreign aid and the security challenges Israel faces.
Mamdani also took aim at military support, stating, “We are sending money to weaponize the IDF even more than they already are.”
While the sentiment might resonate with some, it glosses over the reality of Israel’s defense needs in a volatile region, not to mention Hamas’s role in perpetuating conflict.
Critics, like Steven Emerson of the Investigative Project on Terrorism, have pointed out gaps in Mamdani’s perspective, arguing that he overlooks the suffering of Palestinian Christians, LGBTQ+ individuals, and dissidents under Hamas’s rule.
Emerson suggests a more balanced critique would condemn Hamas’s actions since taking control of Gaza after Israel’s 2005 withdrawal.
Indeed, the 2021 rally wasn’t Mamdani’s only foray into this debate; two years later, just weeks before the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, he spoke at another event about defunding what he called “Israeli settler violence.” It’s a consistent theme, but one that risks painting a one-sided picture of a deeply nuanced conflict.
For many conservatives, Mamdani’s rhetoric raises red flags about whether his focus on international causes might overshadow the bread-and-butter issues facing New Yorkers. Passion for justice is admirable, but governing a city requires a clear-eyed focus on local needs over global crusades.
