House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is pressing Zohran Mamdani, the self-proclaimed socialist and presumed Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, to explain his stance on the controversial slogan “Globalize the intifada.”
Mamdani, who has been a vocal critic of Israel, sparked backlash earlier this month when he told The Bulwark that “Globalize the intifada” is a phrase that encapsulates a “desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights.”
Jeffries, one of the top Democrats in Congress, is now demanding that Mamdani clarify why he refuses to disavow a slogan many view as inciting violence against Jews.
“Globalizing the intifada, by way of example, is not an acceptable phrasing,” Jeffries (D-NY) said Sunday on ABC’s This Week. He reminded viewers that “intifada” literally means uprising.
Jeffries went on to emphasize that Mamdani owes voters a clear explanation.
“He’s going to have to clarify his position on that as he moves forward,” said the Brooklyn lawmaker.
Jeffries also pointed out that Mamdani needs to convince Jewish constituents that he is serious about tackling antisemitism in the city.
“With respect to the Jewish communities that I represent, I think our nominee is going to have to convince folks that he is prepared to aggressively address the rise in antisemitism in the city of New York, which has been an unacceptable development.”
When questioned by The Bulwark on June 17 about whether the slogan made him uncomfortable, Mamdani would not criticize it.
And during a follow-up interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, Mamdani again refused to denounce the phrase — even as many have warned it carries threatening and violent implications.
“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,” Mamdani told host Kristen Welker.
“I don’t believe that the role of the mayor is to police speech in the manner.”
Welker pressed Mamdani three separate times to address the phrase directly.
If Mamdani secures the office, he will become New York City’s first Muslim and first millennial mayor. His surprise primary win, in which he edged out former Governor Andrew Cuomo, shook up the Democratic establishment.
He is widely expected to clinch the Democratic nomination officially when the results are certified next month.
Jeffries, who has yet to throw his support behind Mamdani, underscored the importance of any mayor taking antisemitism seriously.
“Any mayor, whether you’re a Democratic mayor, a Republican mayor, an independent mayor, has got to commit to the safety and well-being of all of the people of the city of New York,” Jeffries said.
“And when there are moments of crisis and a rise in anti-Jewish hate, that’s a threshold, of course, that needs to be crossed.”
Jeffries also defended his current decision to withhold an endorsement of Mamdani.
“I have not,” Jeffries said when asked if he had endorsed the candidate. “We had a conversation on Wednesday morning where I congratulated him on the campaign that he ran, a campaign that clearly was relentlessly focused on the high cost of living in New York City.”
He noted that he and Mamdani have not previously had much interaction.
“We don’t really know each other well. Our districts don’t overlap. I have never had a substantive conversation with him,” Jeffries explained. “That’s the next step in terms of this process, to be able to sit down.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who holds the distinction of being the most senior elected Jewish official in the United States, has also held off on endorsing Mamdani.
Several Democrats, including Representatives Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen, have voiced strong opposition to many of Mamdani’s far-left stances.

{Matzav.com}