TJV Editorial: The Deafening Silence of Those Who Claim to Fear Zohran Mamdani

For months now, prominent voices in Jewish communal circles have sounded the alarm over the rise of Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani as a leading contender in New York City’s mayoral race. They have warned—rightly so—about his appalling refusal to condemn the antisemitic slogan “Globalize the Intifada,” a phrase that transparently calls for violence against Jews under the guise of political activism. They have decried his baseless accusations that Israel is committing genocide, branding the Jewish state a settler-colonialist enterprise, and slandering it as an apartheid regime. They have expressed horror over his radical Marxist platform that threatens to tear at the fabric of the city’s economy and civic life.

And yet—where are they?

This is the glaring question that now hangs over much of the Jewish communal response, or lack thereof, as Mamdani’s campaign presses forward. If his rise truly represents the existential threat so many have warned about, why is there no visible, coordinated, or even modestly effective effort to combat it?

As reported by The New York Post, Mamdani has promised to push corporations and businesses out of New York with punishing tax increases. He has openly stated his intention to target more “affluent and whiter areas” with aggressive taxation. And yet, those with the means, influence, and networks to mount a serious challenge to his candidacy seem otherwise engaged. Is Mamdani’s openly racialized economic agenda—one that pits communities against each other—really not worth confronting in a serious way?

The truth is as ugly as it is undeniable. Those who claim to be outraged, appalled, and terrified by the rise of Zohran Mamdani are, for the most part, nowhere to be found when action is needed. They are conspicuously absent not because they are powerless, but because they have chosen to prioritize leisure over leadership. While Mamdani crisscrosses the five boroughs pushing his dangerous agenda, the supposed defenders of New York’s Jewish community are busy sunning themselves on the French Riviera, lounging in their Jersey Shore estates, or soaking up the serenity of the Catskills.

This would be excusable—perhaps even understandable—if we were living in a season of calm. But we are not. This is a moment of deep crisis. Jewish communities in New York are facing a chilling rise in antisemitic attacks. Israel stands under constant siege, both on the battlefield and in the treacherous world of public opinion. The cultural, political, and academic mainstream in America is bending dangerously toward the ideologies Mamdani espouses. And what is the response of those who claim to recognize the threat? A collective shrug, followed by a trip to the beach.

It is not as though the threat is subtle or abstract. Mamdani’s rhetoric is as blunt as it is incendiary. His calls for economic warfare on select communities, his embrace of movements that glorify violence against Jews, and his disdain for Israel’s right to exist are well-documented and widely circulated. Yet the outcry remains confined to op-eds, closed-door conversations, and the occasional social media post—vanishing into the ether as quickly as it appears.

Where are the coordinated campaigns to educate voters? Where are the grassroots mobilizations to oppose Mamdani’s candidacy in every neighborhood and on every street corner? Where are the Jewish leaders rallying their communities to action—not next month, not after the summer holidays, but right now?

As The New York Post has noted, Mamdani’s own campaign strategy is clear: stay in the city, meet voters face-to-face, ride the subway, knock on doors, and keep the momentum going. He is doing the hard, unglamorous work of grassroots campaigning. And what of his opponents? What of the critics and watchdogs who warn that a Mamdani victory would spell disaster for New York’s future? Their strategy, if it can be called that, seems to involve lounging poolside, cocktail in hand, while murmuring their concerns into an echo chamber that has little impact on the outcome of this election.

Pirkei Avos reminds us: “The day is short, and the task is great.” Those who believe in the sanctity of Jewish life, in the strength of a free and vibrant New York City, and in the future of a society unburdened by radical Marxist ideologies should reflect deeply on that teaching. Because the clock is ticking, and every day of complacency brings Mamdani one step closer to Gracie Mansion.

Perhaps it is time for those with the means and influence to rise from their deck chairs and return to the front lines of civic responsibility. The battle for the future of New York is being fought—not in the comfort of summer retreats, but on the streets of the five boroughs. The question is whether those who claim to care will show up for the fight before it’s too late.