Mamdani calls his Netanyahu comments ‘objective facts’
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has stated that his comments about israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which he described as “objective facts,” did not contribute to the rise in antisemitism.Mamdani clarified that his remarks are critiques of political leadership and do not reflect personal opinions or target Judaism. Following a violent incident in Manhattan where two people where stabbed shouting “Allahu Akbar,” Mamdani emphasized his commitment to combating hate crimes, including increasing funding for hate crime prevention efforts by over 800%. He also addressed his past promise to arrest Netanyahu if he entered New York City, acknowledging that as mayor, he lacks the authority to do so and instead called for protests. Mamdani’s anti-Israel rhetoric has been criticized by the Jewish community, with the United Jewish Appeal Federation linking his comments to recent attacks. Additionally, Mamdani’s inflammatory language, including calling Netanyahu a “war criminal” and “architect of genocide,” has drawn strong condemnation from officials like Jeff Miller of the U.S. holocaust Memorial Museum, who emphasized the hazardous consequences of such rhetoric. The controversy has heightened tensions around rising antisemitic incidents and debates over free speech and political criticism in the city.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani dismissed the idea that his comments about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have contributed to the rise in antisemitism, framing his remarks as “objective facts.”
Mamdani fielded questions from reporters on Friday following a possible hate crime in Manhattan in which two people were stabbed by a suspect who yelled “Allahu Akbar” while committing the attacks. One of the victims was Jewish, and the other was Asian.
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The socialist mayor clarified that his comments about Netanyahu are critiques of political leadership, not Judaism, and do not reflect his personal opinion of the dignitary.
“When it comes to my comments about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, they are critiques not based on my personal analysis but rather on objective facts,” Mamdani said. “They are critiques of a political leader, not of people of a specific faith or a religion or a background, and my responsibility as the mayor of this city is to keep every New Yorker safe, no matter where they come from, what they believe in, or frankly, even if they agree with my politics.”
An Anti-Defamation League audit of antisemitic incidents found that attacks increased by 30% between 2024 and 2025, a rise that Mamdani recognized while touting investments in hate crime combatants.
“If anyone is perpetrating this kind of a bigotry, that kind of hatred, they will be held fully accountable,” he said. “We know that we’ve seen hate crimes rise over these last few years, and it’s been troubling to see. And one of the responses that we’ve taken is invest a more than 800% increase in the office of hate crime prevention, so that we can start to address the root causes of this bigotry and of this hatred, as we look to root out the scourge of antisemitism.”
A pillar of Mamdani’s campaign had been promising the arrest of Netanyahu should he step into New York City. The mayor reaffirmed those claims in an interview with the New York Times when he claimed to be in “an active conversation” with the city’s law department over whether the New York Police Department had the authority to carry out the International Criminal Court’s warrant for Netanyahu’s arrest during his visit to the Big Apple in September for the U.N. General Assembly.
Mamdani later conceded that, as mayor, he does not have the legal authority to carry out an arrest warrant for a foreign dignitary and instead called for New Yorkers to protest Netanyahu’s presence in the city. Mamdani has called Netanyahu a “war criminal” and an “architect of genocide,” and his calls for protest have been met with strong opposition from the Jewish community.
The United Jewish Appeal Federation of New York quickly placed blame on Mamdani’s anti-Israel rhetoric for the attacks on Thursday, saying it is “not surprised.”
“We cannot ignore the dangerous climate when elected leaders relentlessly portray Israel — and by extension, the many Jewish New Yorkers who feel a deep connection to it — as uniquely evil and illegitimate,” the organization said in a statement.
Jeff Miller, chairman of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, also ripped Mamdani for his rhetoric surrounding Netanyahu, particularly for saying the prime minister is responsible for the “genocide” in Gaza.
“If you truly want to understand what genocide looks like, as Chairman of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, I would be happy to personally arrange a tour of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum for you,” Miller said. “Words matter. Especially from elected leaders. Jews in New York are being threatened and attacked, and rhetoric that demonizes Israel and the Jewish state has consequences.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to Mamdani’s office, asking if he would accept Miller’s invitation.
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