Shortly before the Democratic mayoral primary last week, an interview that Zohran Mamdani, a far-left socialist, did with The Bulwark's Tim Miller aired in which Mamdani defended the pro-Hamas, pro-genocidal phrase of "globalize the intifada." When called out for it, he proceeded to cry about Islamophobia and play the victim. Now that Mamdani is that much closer to actually becoming mayor, he was asked once more about the phrase, and still continued to double down when speaking to NBC News' Kristen Welker on "NBC News."
To recap, Mamdani offered as a response that "I know people for whom those phrases mean very different things," adding, "to me, ultimately, what I hear in so many is a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights, and I think what's difficult also is that the very word has been used by the Holocaust museum when translating the Warsaw Ghetto uprising into Arabic, because it's a word that means 'struggle.'"
The U.S. Holocaust Museum was among those calling out Mamdani for daring to bring up the Warsaw Ghetto uprising into his defense of a phrase used to target and kill Jews.
Mamdani, on The Bulwark podcast, says ‘Globalize the Intifada’ chant signifies, to him, a call for Palestinian human rights.
— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) June 17, 2025
Adds: “The word has been used by the Holocaust Museum when translating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising into Arabic — because it’s a word that means struggle.” pic.twitter.com/k2yeiSJpMy
Exploiting the Museum and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising to sanitize “globalize the intifada” is outrageous and especially offensive to survivors. Since 1987 Jews have been attacked and murdered under its banner. All leaders must condemn its use and the abuse of history. pic.twitter.com/SBviaMNLCM
— US Holocaust Museum (@HolocaustMuseum) June 18, 2025
Just over 10 days later, Mamdani was asked by Welker about such a phrase.
Welker accurately described the phrase and gave Mamdani a chance to be quite clear on the matter. "In that moment you did not condemn the phrase. Now, just so folks understand, it's a phrase that many people hear as a call to violence against Jews. There's been a lot of attention on this issue, so I want to give you an opportunity to respond here and now. Do you condemn that phrase 'globalize the intifada?'" Welker directly asked.
Despite the directness of the question, Mamdani provided a nonanswer. "That's not language that I use. The language that I use and the language that I will continue to use to lead this city is that which speaks clearly to my intent, which is an intent grounded in a belief in universal human rights. And ultimately, that's what is the foundation of so much of my politics, the belief that freedom and justice and safety are things that, to have meaning, have to be applied to all people, and that includes Israelis and Palestinians as well," he instead offered, also bringing "Palestinians" into the conversation.
This prompted Welker to ask him once again, "do you actually condemn it?" Mamdani still did not do so, even as Walker repeated her question once more. "Do you condemn that phrase, 'globalize the intifada,' which a lot of people hear as a call to violence against Jews?"
"I've heard from many Jewish New Yorkers who have shared their concerns with me, especially in light of the horrific attacks that we saw in Washington, D.C. and in Boulder, Colorado about this moment of antisemitism in our country and in our city. And I've heard those fears and I've had those conversations," Mamdani claimed, which one would think means he would thus have no problem actually condemning it. Instead, he touted his proposals and took shots at President Donald Trump.
"And ultimately, they are part and parcel of why, in my campaign, I’ve put forward a commitment to increase funding for anti-hate crime programming by 800 percent. I don't believe that the role of the mayor is to police speech in the manner, especially of that of Donald Trump, who has put one New Yorker in jail, who's just returned to his family, Mahmoud Khalil, for that very supposed crime of speech. Ultimately, what I think I need to show is the ability to not only talk about something but to tackle it and to make clear that there's no room for antisemitism in this city. And we have to root out that bigotry, and ultimately we do that through the actions," Mamdani continued.
The Trump administration sought to have the pro-Hamas activist, Mahmoud Khalil deported not for "that very supposed crime of speech," but because of his terrorist sympathies. He led pro-Hamas activity at Columbia University and also participated in it at its sister school of Barnard College, even after he had graduated. He was released earlier this month under a court order and immediately proceeded to participate in anti-American rallies, including those supporting "globalize the intifada."
When asked by Welker, "why not just condemn it?" Mamdani made the same point he made to Miller, which is that he doesn't want to police language, as he once again took the opportunity to rail against Trump.
"My concern is to start to walk down the line of language and making clear what language I believe is permissible or impermissible takes me into a place similar to that of the president, who is looking to do those very kinds of things, putting people in jail for writing an op-ed. Putting them in jail for protesting. Ultimately, it's not language that I use. It's language I understand there are concerns about. And what I will do is showcase my vision for this city through my words and my actions," he instead offered, again misleading when it comes to the Trump administration looking to detain and deport those with terrorist sympathies.
Putting aside his refusal to condemn "globalize the intifada," which as Welker repeatedly mentioned is concerning to people, Mamdani's own "words and actions" when it comes to Israel are concerning enough.
Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani told Kristen Welker three times on Meet the Press that he refuses to condemn “globalize the intifada” because doing so would make him like Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/LfLUEp7jyD
— Christopher Hale (@chrisjollyhale) June 29, 2025
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