As New York Jews appeal to world leaders to confront antisemitism, the city’s mayor is intensifying rhetoric about Israel that has already become a source of deep concern within the Jewish community.
New York Jews rallied outside the UN during the General Assembly to demand stronger action against rising antisemitism, including in their own city, where Jewish leaders have repeatedly challenged Mayor Zohran Mamdani over his hostile rhetoric toward Israel that has left the Jewish community feeling increasingly vulnerable. Days earlier, Jewish students and community members gathered outside Gracie Mansion to protest antisemitism and criticize the mayor’s approach to Israel.
Mamdani’s response was to double down. Speaking this week, he again called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “war criminal” and “an architect of a horrific genocide of the Palestinian people,” and said the International Criminal Court warrant against him should be honored.
“World Leaders Attend UNGA Amid Wars in Middle East, Ukraine,” CNN Newsroom, September 22, 2026