Mamdani Won't Condemn Pro-Hamas Chants Outside Queens Synagogue or Call Them Anti-Semitic

(Hans Luca AFP via Getty Images)

On Thursday night, pro-Hamas chants were shouted outside Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills, an Orthodox Jewish synagogue in Queens.

The chants included, "Say it loud, say it clear, we support Hamas here!!!"

Most New York area politicians had no trouble condemning pro-Hamas marchers by name. Even AOC had no trouble calling this out:

Hey so marching into a predominantly Jewish neighborhood and leading with a chant saying “we support Hamas” is a disgusting and antisemitic thing to do. Pretty basic!

Unfortunately, it wasn't so basic for New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani whose statements have been at best boilerplate and at worst engaging in moral equivalence. 

Mamdani first told a reporter from Politico, “That language is wrong. I think that language has no place in New York City.” He subsequently issued a statement:

The rhetoric and displays that we saw are wrong and have no place in our city.

My team is in close touch with the NYPD regarding last night’s protest and counterprotest. We will continue to ensure New Yorkers’ safety entering and exiting houses of worship, as well as the constitutional right to protest.

Notice how Mamdani doesn't specify what rhetoric he is condemning. He adds that he is close touch with the NYPD regarding "last night's protest and counterprotest". So, is he condemning the protest (Hamas supporters) or the counterprotest (Israel supporters) the latter of whom have also been accused of shouting racist statements. 

Mamdani did issue another statement indicating "chants in support of a terrorist organization have no place in our city" but did not mention Hamas. Thus, it can be construed that he was referring to Israel as a terrorist organization.

The fact that Mamdani cannot condemn Hamas by name much less characterize them as anti-Semitic should not come as a surprise. While vowing to fight "the scourge of anti-Semitism" after taking the oath of office he immediately rescinded executive orders regarding the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism and prohibiting the city from engaging in the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement against Israel.

Let us also remember that the day after October 7th, Mamdani also condemned Israel while making no mention of Hamas.

Mamdani cannot condemn Hamas because he supports Hamas and their anti-Semitic objective of wiping Israel off the face of the Earth. If Mamdani were to condemn Hamas by name, he would be a dead man walking.