Zohran Mamdani Has a Serious ‘Intifada’ Problem

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is coming under fire from people on both sides of the political spectrum for his embrace of the phrase “globalize the intifada.”

The socialist candidate stunned the nation when he won the Democratic primary. Since then, he has been a hot topic of political conversation — especially because of his radical leftist policy proposals. Now, several Democrats have publicly called for him to disavow the phrase due to its association with antisemitism. 

However, Mamdani has resisted calls to condemn the phrase. During an interview on The Bulwark’s podcast, he claimed the phrase represented “a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights.”

The Arabic term “intifada” means “uprising.” It is commonly used in relation to the Palestinians rising up against Israel. Mamdani faced an immense backlash after defending the phrase. 

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) on Thursday called Mamdani out for embracing the phrase. She argued that he must condemn these remarks if he wants to win over Jewish voters.

“As a leader of a city as diverse as New York City with 8 million people, as the largest Jewish population in the country, he should denounce it,” she said during an interview. “And that’s it. Period.”

She continued, saying, “You can’t celebrate it, you can’t value it, you can’t lift it up.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) also criticzed Mamdani over the phrase. “Globalizing the intifada, by way of example, is not an acceptable phrase,” Jeffries said. “He’s going to have to clarify his position on that as he moves forward.”

He further stated that Mamdani “is going to have to convince folks that he is prepared to aggressively address the rise in antisemitism in the city of New York, which has been an unacceptable development.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) expressed support for the candidate, but also criticized Mamdani’s use of the phrase. When asked about it, the lawmaker said, “Look, it’s not something I would say, and I think he has said that he will not say it. He will discourage others from saying.”

Mamdani did relent while speaking with The New York Times. The news outlet published a report on Tuesday, noting that Mamdani said he would no longer use or support the phrase. He made the mea culpa while speaking to a group of business leaders, acknowledging that many (rightly) view it as a call for violence against Jewish people,

Editor’s Note: Zohran Mamdani is an avowed Democratic Socialist and has a real chance to become the next mayor of New York City.

Help us continue to report on his radical communist views and expose the Democrats who support him. Join Townhall’s VIP program and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership.

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is coming under fire from people on both sides of the political spectrum for his embrace of the phrase “globalize the intifada.”

The socialist candidate stunned the nation when he won the Democratic primary. Since then, he has been a hot topic of political conversation — especially because of his radical leftist policy proposals. Now, several Democrats have publicly called for him to disavow the phrase due to its association with antisemitism. 

However, Mamdani has resisted calls to condemn the phrase. During an interview on The Bulwark’s podcast, he claimed the phrase represented “a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights.”

The Arabic term “intifada” means “uprising.” It is commonly used in relation to the Palestinians rising up against Israel. Mamdani faced an immense backlash after defending the phrase. 

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) on Thursday called Mamdani out for embracing the phrase. She argued that he must condemn these remarks if he wants to win over Jewish voters.

“As a leader of a city as diverse as New York City with 8 million people, as the largest Jewish population in the country, he should denounce it,” she said during an interview. “And that’s it. Period.”

She continued, saying, “You can’t celebrate it, you can’t value it, you can’t lift it up.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) also criticzed Mamdani over the phrase. “Globalizing the intifada, by way of example, is not an acceptable phrase,” Jeffries said. “He’s going to have to clarify his position on that as he moves forward.”

He further stated that Mamdani “is going to have to convince folks that he is prepared to aggressively address the rise in antisemitism in the city of New York, which has been an unacceptable development.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) expressed support for the candidate, but also criticized Mamdani’s use of the phrase. When asked about it, the lawmaker said, “Look, it’s not something I would say, and I think he has said that he will not say it. He will discourage others from saying.”

Mamdani did relent while speaking with The New York Times. The news outlet published a report on Tuesday, noting that Mamdani said he would no longer use or support the phrase. He made the mea culpa while speaking to a group of business leaders, acknowledging that many (rightly) view it as a call for violence against Jewish people,

Editor’s Note: Zohran Mamdani is an avowed Democratic Socialist and has a real chance to become the next mayor of New York City.

Help us continue to report on his radical communist views and expose the Democrats who support him. Join Townhall’s VIP program and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership.