Pennsylvania governor and likely future presidential candidate Josh Shapiro took aim at another rising star in the Democratic Party this week, suggesting that Zohran Mamdani hasn’t done enough to condemn antisemitism both in New York and nationwide.
In an interview with Jewish Insider, Shapiro offered a light compliment of Mamdani’s success in the Democratic primary but signaled that the mayoral hopeful needed to do more to denounce antisemitism and hate. “He seemed to run a campaign that excited New Yorkers. He also seemed to run a campaign where he left open far too much space for extremists to either use his words or for him to not condemn the words of extremists that said some blatantly antisemitic things,” said Shapiro, who is Jewish.
“I’ll say this about Mamdani or any other leader,” Shapiro continued. “If you want to lead New York, you want to lead Pennsylvania, you want to lead the United States of America, you’re a leader. I don’t care if you’re a Republican or Democratic leader or a democratic-socialist leader. You have to speak and act with moral clarity, and when supporters of yours say things that are blatantly antisemitic, you can’t leave room for that to just sit there. You’ve got to condemn that.”
Shapiro appeared to be alluding, in part, to a long-running controversy surrounding Mamdani’s comments on the phrase “Globalize the intifada,” a slogan that some view as a call for violence against Jews. In June, Mamdani opted against outright condemning use of the phrase during an interview with the Bulwark, adding that the mayor’s focus should be on keeping Jewish New Yorkers safe. He further clarified his position in an NBC News interview, saying, “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.”
In an interview with Errol Louis on NY1 this month, Mamdani suggested that his perspective on the phrase had shifted, saying he recently spoke with a rabbi who said the phrase invokes memories of bombings and violent attacks against Jewish people in Israel. “That distance between what some intend and what others hear is a bridge that is too far and it is why I have not used the phrase and it’s why I have discouraged its use,” he said.
As Mamdani looks to grow his support ahead of the general election in November, his initial comments have emerged as a barrier to some members of the party backing his candidacy. Laura Gillen, a moderate New York congresswoman who likely would’ve opposed Mamdani’s campaign on policy grounds regardless, alleged in a statement that the assemblymember had a “deeply disturbing pattern of unacceptable antisemitic comments.” Both House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who have yet to officially endorse Mamdani, have condemned use of the phrase and referenced Mamdani’s comments on it. Jeffries and Mamdani met last week in Brooklyn, and a spokesperson for the House leader called the hour-long discussion “constructive, candid, and community-centered.”
In the wake of Shapiro’s criticism, Mamdani has the public support of Brad Lander, his political ally and former mayoral candidate. Lander, the outgoing comptroller and the highest-ranking Jewish official in city government, pushed back against Shapiro’s characterization of Mamdani in a statement. “Let’s be clear: Zohran Mamdani won the votes of a large majority of NYC Democrats, including proud Jews like me, inspired by his vision of a city everyone can afford and confident about his commitment to combating antisemitism and hate. Josh Shapiro won’t help keep Jews safe in NYC or Pennsylvania by feeding Trump’s narrative about our Democratic nominee for mayor.”
