Zohran Mamdani Doubles Down on BDS Support, Refuses to Affirm Israel’s Right to Exist as a Jewish State at UJA Forum

By: Fern Sidman

Democratic Socialist mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani came under renewed fire Thursday night after affirming his steadfast support for the controversial Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and declining to state whether Israel should exist as a Jewish state. The comments were made during a high-stakes candidate forum hosted by the UJA-Federation of New York — just one day after the anti-Semitic assassination of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C., sent shockwaves through the global Jewish community.

As The New York Post reported on Friday, Mamdani, a Queens-based state assemblyman and Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member, defended BDS as “a legitimate movement” and characterized it as “non-violent,” despite its widespread condemnation by U.S. lawmakers, Jewish groups, and human rights scholars who argue it seeks to delegitimize and economically cripple the world’s only Jewish state.

“My support for BDS is consistent with my core of my politics, which is non-violence,” Mamdani said during the event’s Q&A, responding to pointed questions from Jewish Insider editor-in-chief Josh Kraushaar. “I think that it is a legitimate movement when you are seeking to find compliance with international law.”

Mamdani elaborated that his backing of BDS stems from what he sees as the tactic’s effectiveness in pressuring governments and institutions “to motivate that compliance” with international norms — statements that drew alarm from pro-Israel organizations but were delivered to what The New York Post described as a surprisingly warm reception from the forum’s attendees.

Though Mamdani acknowledged that he believes Israel “has a right to exist,” he artfully sidestepped the question of whether it should exist as a Jewish state — a critical distinction, particularly in a city that is home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel.

“I believe Israel has a right to exist, and it has a right to exist also with equal rights for all,” Mamdani replied. Observers noted the omission of any reference to Israel’s identity as a Jewish homeland, a founding principle affirmed by the 1947 United Nations Partition Plan and enshrined in Israeli law.

His evasion of the Jewish state question came amid heightened scrutiny of his anti-Israel record, much of which has been documented by The New York Post. In the days leading up to the event, the Post unearthed a now-viral video clip of Mamdani leading a “BDS” chant at a May 11, 2021, protest widely criticized for promoting anti-Zionist slogans and inflammatory rhetoric.

The Thursday forum was tightly controlled, with significant security measures in place — likely due in part to the horrific execution-style murder of Israeli diplomats Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim just 24 hours earlier in Washington. The event, which took place at a venue associated with the UJA-Federation, had press, including The New York Post, barred from entering. Nevertheless, recordings obtained by the Post captured Mamdani’s remarks in full.

According to attendees, event organizers revoked tickets for several individuals due to “security concerns,” and a heavy NYPD presence underscored the tension surrounding Mamdani’s appearance. The lawmaker’s record has made him a lightning rod in a race already dominated by public safety, housing, and cultural polarization.

During his 20-minute appearance, Mamdani was also asked to clarify controversial past remarks in which he vowed, if elected mayor, to direct the NYPD to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should the longtime Israeli leader visit New York.

“Ultimately, my position is one that I believe our city should be in compliance with international law,” Mamdani said. He pointed to the International Criminal Court’s recent issuance of an arrest warrant for Netanyahu as his justification — adding that he would say the same about Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“What troubles me greatly is that Benjamin Netanyahu has also issued military commands from this very city when visiting it,” he added, referencing Netanyahu’s past visits to the UN and private meetings with American Jewish leaders in New York.

Speaking to The New York Post Friday, Mamdani’s campaign spokesperson Andrew Epstein maintained that the candidate’s positions were rooted in consistency and principle, not provocation.

“Zohran has been consistent in his belief that Israel has the right to exist, a responsibility to adhere to international law, and that he supports non-violent movements to ensure compliance with that law,” Epstein said. He added that Mamdani was “heartened by the warm reception last night to his vision for a New York that’s safe and affordable for everyone.”

But many in the Jewish community have expressed outrage — not just at Mamdani’s past comments, but at what they see as a troubling pattern. As The New York Post previously reported, Mamdani has refused to sign resolutions recognizing the Holocaust and Israel’s founding — a move his campaign later described as a “procedural error.” Yet critics say these “errors” are consistent with the assemblyman’s broader political project: one that routinely sidelines Jewish history and identity in favor of a radical anti-Zionist agenda.

Mamdani’s mayoral campaign has received support from anti-Israel figures such as former “Squad” member Jamaal Bowman, who recently lost his congressional seat following a wave of criticism over his inflammatory remarks on the Israel-Hamas war. Bowman’s endorsement of Mamdani — just days after a suspected terrorist murdered two Israeli citizens in the U.S. capital — has been cited by critics as tone-deaf at best, and dangerous at worst.

Mamdani also championed the controversial “Not On Our Dime Act,” which would have barred New York-based nonprofits from providing funding to any group affiliated with Israeli settlements in the Judea and Samaria region of Israel. The bill was condemned by mainstream Jewish organizations as a direct attack on charitable giving to Israeli institutions, including hospitals, schools, and humanitarian aid programs.

The Mamdani campaign’s unapologetic stance on Israel represents a sharp departure from traditional Democratic norms in New York, where support for Israel — while not monolithic — has historically crossed party lines. That divide is now growing sharper, as far-left politicians embrace rhetoric and policies that many consider indistinguishable from anti-Semitism.

Mamdani’s rhetoric will remain a flashpoint in the lead-up to the mayoral primary. For many Jewish New Yorkers, the question now is not just about Mamdani’s electability — but whether the city can afford to normalize a movement that refuses to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist as the Jewish homeland.

And in the aftermath of anti-Semitic violence at home and abroad, that question has never felt more urgent.