Shabbat shalom!
In a scorching recent essay titled “The New Populism of the Judeocidal Left,” British conservative columnist Melanie Phillips warned that Jews in Britain are now less safe than Israelis—and that’s saying something, considering Israelis just survived a 12-day war with Iran, a war that killed dozens of Israelis, and injured thousands from a barrage of a missiles and drones. The British Jewish community, she argues, is being squeezed between the resurgent far-right and an increasingly aggressive left whose anti-Zionism slips easily into antisemitism.
Britain’s Israeli Diaspora Minister, Amichai Chikli, said that Jews were in such danger that they should leave the country and immigrate to Israel. Chikli accused the Labour Government in the United Kingdom of fueling antisemitism and claimed that its voter base consisted of “Hamas sympathisers”. He told the Daily Mail: “Without a dramatic change of course by Britain’s political leadership, I see no future for Jewish life in England.”
Yikes.
That warning isn’t just coming from across the pond anymore. If you thought New York City—a capital of global Jewish life—was immune, think again. The recent Democratic mayoral primary gave New Yorkers two radically different choices: the “ass‑grabbing hack” Andrew Cuomo, and the hyper-progressive darling Zohran Mamdani, whose record on Israel is more than just “troubling”. Much to Jewish chagrin, Mamdani’s “hyper-progressive urbanism” carried the day.
Mamdani didn’t just flirt with anti-Israel rhetoric. He married it, moved in, and started redecorating with Hezbollah flags. He supports the BDS movement. He’s introduced bills to strip nonprofits of their tax-exempt status if they support Israeli settlements. He called the Israeli response to Hamas attacks “genocidal,” and suggested that if Prime Minister Netanyahu visits New York, he should be arrested. Yes, arrested—for defending his country after it was attacked by a terror group that burned babies alive and livestreamed executions. I’m no fan of Nut-and-yahoo, but really?
Most chilling of all, Mamdani refused to disavow the slogan “Globalize the Intifada.”When pressed, he gave the usual weasel words about “context” and “symbolism.” This, even after Jewish leaders across the spectrum warned that intifada means blood in the streets—specifically, Jewish blood.
The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum condemned the phrase. Mamdani shrugged.
Even if he sincerely believes the expression is a call for equal rights for Palestinians, as a public figure, he has a responsibility to acknowledge that a lot of people see it as a call for violence, and should denounce it. The New York Post put it right: if you won’t denounce a slogan that’s been used to justify bus bombings and synagogue shootings, you certainly don’t belong anywhere near Gracie Mansion.
Mamdani also refuses to concede that Israel should be an expressly Jewish state. That position, however sincerely held, was expected to cost him dearly in the most Jewish city outside the Levant. Time will tell, but it doesn’t seem so. The 33 year old has captivated young voters, with a smooth manner and sharp political instincts similar to the orange man, he’s saying what he thinks—even if it infuriates critics—and drawing disaffected voters (in this case, young people Democrats are losing) into a coalition. And like Trump, he comes from privilege and has a flair for showbiz.
New York democrats obviously wanted change. And Cuomo, the sleazy, transactional, cynical candidate—turned out to be the “moderate.” The guy who governed like a mob boss in a statehouse sauna was considered the less dangerous option. That’s the measure of our decline. To his credit, Mamdani offered answers to “how the hell can I afford to live in this City?” But I don’t buy AOC’s comment that Mamdani had “demonstrated a real ability on the ground to put together a coalition of working-class New Yorkers” because the results tell a different story — here’s what happens when you sort the results by income:
Jeff Maurer, political hack and humorist, summed it up perfectly:
But evidence suggest that this grassroots movement against elites mostly appeals to…elites. Mamdani did well with high-income voters in high-income areas, especially the upwardly-mobile and highly-educated parts of Brooklyn and Manhattan. And that dynamic would have been even more pronounced had Mamdani not scared away Jewish voters in Upper Manhattan with his “globalize the Intifada”comment.
It’s encouraging to see a young, vibrant and talented politician getting the dems excited again. Lord knows, someone needs to revive the dying democrat patient and the party. If you can see past his anti-Israel nonsense, and drop his inane city owned supermarkets and rent control idiocy, and combine him with more “Abundance” policies, there might be a chance for this guy to pull off an amazing victory in the fall. But the price for Jews, in my humble opinion, is too high. The risk of normalizing “from the river to the sea” and “globalizing the Intifada” would be a disaster and far too big a leap for myself, and I would think, for most Jews to take.
Mamdani’s supporters say the allegations that he is antisemitic are blunted by the support he receives not only from organizations like Jewish Voice for Peace and JFREJ, who largely align with his positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but also from his relationship with Brad Lander, a longstanding and prominent Jewish elected official in the city and self-described liberal Zionist with close ties to the Jewish community.
I’m not a New Yorker, but my presumption is that for most Jewish New Yorkers, Mamdani’s victory isn’t just ideological—it’s existential. In a city once built by and for immigrants, where Yiddish once echoed through tenement walls and synagogues stood on every other block, the new left has no room for Jews who love Israel. The new lefty litmus test is loyalty to Palestine—unquestioned, absolute, and conveniently blind to Hamas rockets.
The British Jews saw it first. Now it’s landed here. And if Mamdani is the future of progressive politics in America’s most Jewish city, then Melanie Phillips was right: we are all Israelis now.
And now, without further ajieu, here is your weekly smorgasbord of superbly selected semitic stories from sources such as The Forward, JTA, The Times of Israel, Haaretz, Nosher, Kveller, and Jewish Boston to name a few. This week I am adding a title to this section – Diaspora Dispatch – and will include my usual smarmy comments on the headlines. Enjoy.
Diaspora Dispatch:
- 🇺🇸🇮🇱 Trump & Bibi Lock Lips on ‘Victory Party’ to Celebrate Iran Strikes – Our two favorite authoritarian bros are reportedly planning a White House meet‑and‑greet to “celebrate” their joint strike on Iran’s nuclear sites. The orange man is still gushing about how “historic” it was, while Bibi’s legal team quietly mentions “trial delay.” Just your average buddy‑fest—if your buddy is the ex-liberal world order. In a related story, the orange man took his Bibi friendship to the next level: “Cancel his corruption trial or pardon him, I’ll ‘save Bibi.’” Israeli courts weren’t impressed. Last we checked, “judicial independence” is still a thing, at least for now.
- Latest on Iran…
- A new poll shows a record number of U.S. voters believe America is too supportive of Israel, following American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. (JTA)
- Trump said the U.S. and Iran will meet next week, claiming a nuclear deal is “no longer necessary” as a tentative ceasefire holds and tensions remain high. (Times of Israel)
- Trump officials cited “new intelligence” to defend the Iran strikes as a success, while pushing back on leaked reports downplaying the impact. (Guardian)
- Families of hostages held in Gaza are hoping the U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran will pressure a weakened, isolated Hamas to ease its stance in negotiations. (JTA)
- A top Hamas official said the terrorist group is ramping up efforts to reach a new ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza. (BBC)
- ⚖️ Texas Sued Over Ten Commandments Law, Moses Remains Unavailable for Comment – A group of Texas families and faith leaders filed a federal lawsuit over the state’s shiny new “Thou Shalt Post the Ten Commandments in Every Classroom” law. Governor Abbott said it’s about “faith and freedom,” which is Southern for “our faith, your freedom to shut up.” Plaintiffs argued the law violates church-state separation. Expect tablets to be smashed—again.(AP)
- 🎬 Lena Dunham Returns to Netflix With “Loud Jewess Energy,” Europe Braces – Lena Dunham’s new Netflix series Too Much follows a “messy, loud, complicated Jewess” who invades London. So basically, it’s Girls, but with more self-awareness and passport stamps. Somewhere, Philip Roth is sighing and pouring a drink.(Hollywood Reporter)
- 🏡 DOJ Ends Probe Into Muslim Suburb, Says “Jews Welcome Too, Promise” – The Justice Department dropped its investigation into a Muslim-focused housing development outside Dallas, after assurances that it would not be a no-Jews-allowed situation. The developers claimed everyone is welcome, even Reform Jews and vegans. Somewhere, Ben Shapiro’s eyebrows are twitching.(AP)
- U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said Wednesday that more countries — some not previously expected — are likely to join the Abraham Accords, hinting at upcoming announcements. (Times of Israel)
- 🏨 Trump Towering Over Tel Aviv? What Could Possibly Go Wrong –Trump’s name might soon grace the tallest hotel in Tel Aviv because apparently there aren’t enough real estate deals with unsettling political subtext in this region. The tower’s backers promise it’ll be “world-class” and “a beacon of luxury.” At least it’ll be easy to find on Google Maps if you’re lost and craving gold trim and indictments.
That’s all for this week. As usual, stay safe out there.
Brad out.
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