Rabbis warn New York mayor Zohran Mamdani his Israel rhetoric is ‘causing harm’

New York rabbis have warned Mayor Zohran Mamdani that his repeated attacks on Israel are harming Jewish New Yorkers and straining relations with the city’s Jewish community.

Ten rabbis from Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist and Modern Orthodox congregations delivered the message during a private hour-long meeting with Mamdani at City Hall on Monday.

The discussion, convened by the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, focused on Jewish safety and the administration’s relationship with Jewish New Yorkers.

But rabbis attending the meeting also directly challenged Mamdani over rhetoric towards Israel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the Forward.

Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, told the newspaper there was a “uniform sense” among those present that the mayor needed to recognise the effect of his comments.

“Everyone agreed that the current course can’t go on,” Jacobs said. “The way he vilifies Israel, and so constantly, is really causing harm.”

Mamdani has been a vocal critic of Israel and previously pledged to arrest Netanyahu if the Israeli prime minister visited New York. He has also encouraged protests against Netanyahu during visits to the city.

Rabbi Rachel Timoner, senior rabbi of Congregation Beth Elohim in Brooklyn, said concerns extended to progressive rabbis who share some of Mamdani’s criticism of Israel.

She told the Forward that while they and their congregants agree with the mayor on many issues and want to work with him, “they have concerns about the way he is speaking about Israel.”

The rabbis reportedly urged Mamdani to acknowledge greater complexity when discussing Israel, Gaza and the West Bank and to highlight Israelis and Palestinians working together.

Rabbi Jon Leener of Prospect Heights Shul, a Modern Orthodox synagogue in Brooklyn, said he told Mamdani about “the lived experiences of Jewish New Yorkers right now”.

Leener, who described himself as a “proud Zionist” who “vehemently” disagrees with the mayor on Israel, said Mamdani’s rhetoric had “contributed to turning up the temperature” while many Jews feel “increasingly vulnerable”.

The intervention comes amid concern over antisemitism in New York. According to NYPD figures cited by the Forward, anti-Jewish hate crimes rose 8.5 percent during Mamdani’s first seven months in office and accounted for 57 percent of hate crimes recorded across the city. In July, reported anti-Jewish offences were up 53 percent compared with the same month last year.

Despite the disagreements, rabbis described the City Hall discussion as constructive.

“It was not sugar-coated, but it was at all times respectful,” Jacobs said.

Timoner said Mamdani listened to the concerns raised and indicated he would consider them.

“The mayor listened deeply and responded with care,” she said. “He said that he was going to reflect with his team about what was said and consider how to incorporate this feedback going forward.”

Leener described the meeting as “a meaningful step in the right direction”.

The talks form part of City Hall’s wider outreach to Jewish New Yorkers ahead of an expected new strategy to tackle antisemitism before Rosh Hashanah.

Phylisa Wisdom, executive director of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, described the meeting as “open, positive and constructive”.

She added: “Mayor Mamdani has and will continue to engage with Jewish life in New York City in order to meet the needs of our communities and reaffirm his commitment to the thriving of Jewish communities across the five boroughs.”