New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned rising antisemitism in New York City while reiterating his support for Israel as a state that guarantees equal rights for all during an interview with ABC News.
“We’ve seen antisemitism rise in this city,” Mamdani said. “We’ve seen the fact that Jewish New Yorkers comprise a minority of our city’s population and yet continue to constitute a majority of the hate crimes that have prevailed in this city.”
Calling the trend “unacceptable,” Mamdani said antisemitism should never be accepted as a normal part of life.
“It’s something that has to be fought and rooted out of every one of the five boroughs,” he said.
Addressing his views on Israel, Mamdani said he supports Israel’s existence but believes all states should provide equal rights regardless of religion.
“I’ve said time and again that I support the state of Israel as a state with equal rights,” he said. “I believe that any state that privileges one religion over another is one that I can’t tell you I support, whether it be Israel or Saudi Arabia or anywhere else.”
Mamdani said his position is rooted in a broader commitment to equality.
“A lot of that comes back to a fundamental belief that we should all be considered equal, no matter what our faith is,” he said.
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