Last night, on ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,’ political candidates Zohran Mamdani and Brad Lander expressed their thoughts on Israel and antisemitism in New York City. The discussion took place just before the influential Democratic mayoral primary of the city. Colbert allotted around a quarter of the 21-minute segment to ask about the candidates’ perspectives on Israel and antisemitism. Much of this period was attended to by Mamdani, a 33-year-old Democratic Socialist ranking second in the race, following former Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Mamdani, who has been the subject of antisemitism allegations over his staunchly pro-Palestinian stance, launched his college’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter during his time as a student. On the other hand, city comptroller Brad Lander, who is Jewish, is presently holding the third position in the mayoral race. Earlier in June, both Mamdani and Lander gave each other mutual endorsements in an effort to boost their potentiality under the city’s ranked-choice voting system.
The candidates’ discussion on ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ began with a question about their beliefs regarding Israel’s right to exist. Lander reiterated his existing viewpoint, envisaging Israel as a democratic nation with Jewish principles. Echoing his previous statements, Mamdani declared his belief in every nation’s right to exist, parallelly emphasizing their obligation to comply with international law.
However, Mamdani refrained from sharing his thoughts on Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish nation. In prior instances, he had expressed his discomfort in supporting nations that uphold citizenship hierarchy based on religion or any similar grounds. Throughout the segment, Mamdani identified the October 2023 Hamas attacks in Israel as acts of war crimes, mirroring his comments in past mayoral debates.
Mamdani’s labeling of the aforementioned attacks as war crimes has attracted criticism, especially considering he initially didn’t employ this term. Following the disastrous event on October 7, Mamdani’s initial statement largely attributed the attack’s responsibility and subsequent aggressions on the Israeli government. He detailed an account of his friend’s apprehension following the event during the TV segment.
On a recent appearance on ‘The Late Show’, Mamdani recounted the story of a close friend who visited his synagogue for Shabbat services shortly after the alarming events of October 7. His friend experienced a moment of terror when he heard the door open behind him, unsure who entered and what it could mean for his safety. Furthermore, Mamdani reported a conversation with a Jewish resident of Williamsburg who told him that he now locks his door – one he had kept unlocked for decades.
According to Mamdani, these narratives only indicate the increasing threat of antisemitism that the city is currently facing. In an attempt to combat this issue effectively, he proposed the establishment of a Department of Community Safety in his campaign. Recently, Mamdani emphasized not only recognizing antisemitism but also the urgency in actively dealing with it.
He firmly stated his stance against the rising wave of antisemitism, asserting the necessity to make it evident that such discriminative behavior holds no place in the city or the country. However, the show’s segment faced some backlash on social media platforms. Critics felt an undue proportion of the discussion was paid to Israel-related inquiries in comparison to talk about their plans for New York.
Furthermore, netizens pointed out that Brad Lander, the third-polling candidate in the race, was allocated less time to discuss Israel or issues related to Islamophobia in New York. In response to the segment, a top YouTube comment read, ‘He’s becoming the mayor of New York, not the mayor of Tel Aviv. This israel stuff is ridiculous.’
During the same episode of ‘The Late Show’, Colbert asked Mamdani if he found any form of violence acceptable. In response, Mamdani categorically rejected the idea of violence having a place in the city, country, or anywhere globally. He further quoted a famous saying by former New York City Mayor Ed Koch to convey his ideological differences.
His refrain went, ‘If you agree with me on nine out of 12 issues, vote for me. Twelve out of 12, see a psychiatrist.’ According to Mamdani, though his views on Palestine’s situation diverged from many, they were shared by some renowned Jews and Israelis. For example, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who opined in a Haaretz column that Israel is guilty of war crimes.
At this juncture, Lander intruded into the discussion, emphasizing that the mayor’s office wouldn’t directly influence the Middle East’s events. However, he considered it remarkable that a Jewish New Yorker and a Muslim New Yorker could come together and pledge safety for all New Yorkers. Underscoring unity, he declared that neither Jewish nor Muslim New Yorkers would be divided.
Lander continued, expressing that the city’s goal was to ensure equity and safety across all communities. He outlined a vision to build a city offering affordable housing, quality education, and secure localities for everyone. Thus, while the discussion on ‘The Late Show’ was wide-ranging, it clearholds the mayoral candidates’ commitment to serving all of New York City’s communities.