- New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani reacted after a swastika was painted at a Brooklyn Jewish school
- Mamdani called antisemitism disgusting and vowed to support Jewish community firmly
- Mamdani has faced criticism for his stance on Israel, but he condemned Hamas and antisemitism
New York's Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has condemned an attack on a Jewish school in Brooklyn, where a red swastika was painted a day after the Democrat clinched the historic victory. In a message of unity, Mamdani called the act of vandalism "disgusting and heartbreaking" and said antisemitism has no place in the United States's largest city.
"This is a disgusting and heartbreaking act of antisemitism, and it has no place in our beautiful city. As Mayor, I will always stand steadfast with our Jewish neighbours to root the scourge of antisemitism out of our city," Mamdani wrote on the social platform X, reacting to a post about the act of vandalism at Jewish Day School.
New York City is home to the largest Jewish community in the world outside of Israel.
According to New York police, they received a 911 call after school staff found the hateful 'swastika' symbols painted in red on the pillars and windows of Magen David Yeshiva on McDonald Avenue near Avenue S in Gravesend on Wednesday. The suspect behind the vandalism is still on the loose.
Mamdani And New York's Jewish Community
Mamdani, who will be New York's first Muslim mayor, often faced Islamophobic jabs and anti-immigrant rhetoric on his campaign trail after he denounced Israel and kindled debate over antisemitism. His main rival, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, received about 60 per cent of the Jewish vote, according to the AP Voter Poll, which also showed Mandani got support of just about 3 in 10 Jews.
Throughout his campaign, Mamdani was steadfast in his criticism of Israel's military conduct in Gaza, depicting it as genocide targeting Palestinians. But he welcomed Jewish supporters to his campaign, denounced the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, and denied suggestions from Cuomo that he was insufficiently opposed to antisemitism.
"We will build a City Hall that stands steadfast alongside Jewish New Yorkers and does not waver in the fight against the scourge of antisemitism," Mamdani declared at his victory celebration.
He reiterated that commitment again on Wednesday in his first news conference since winning the election, touting his plan to increase funding for hate crime prevention. "I take the issue of antisemitism incredibly seriously," he said.
