Jewish groups issue post-election warning to Mamdani as he prepares to lead New York City

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Jewish organizations are speaking out as self-identified democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani prepares to take the reins of America's most populous city.

The UJA-Federation of New York, JCRC-NY, ADL New York/New Jersey, AJC New York and the New York Board of Rabbis issued a joint statement after Mamdani's victory in the high-stakes race.

"New Yorkers have spoken, electing Zohran Mamdani as the next Mayor of New York City. We recognize that voters are animated by a range of issues, but we cannot ignore that the Mayor-elect holds core beliefs fundamentally at odds with our community’s deepest convictions and most cherished values," the statement said.

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"We call on Mayor-elect Mamdani and all elected officials to govern with humility, inclusivity, and a deep respect for the diversity of views and experiences that define our city.

"Our agenda remains clear. We will hold all elected officials, including Mayor-elect Mamdani, fully accountable for ensuring that New York remains a place where Jewish life and support for Israel are protected and can thrive."

Zohran Mamdani speaks during a victory speech at a mayoral election night watch party Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in New York.  (Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo)

Anti-Defamation League (ADL) CEO Jonathan Greenblatt told Fox News Digital that, "[The] ADL has the backs of all Jewish New Yorkers at this time of record antisemitism in our country and in New York City in particular. Today we are launching a new initiative featuring a tip line for antisemitic incidents and a 'Mamdani Monitor' to track policies and appointments, expanding our existing work to protect Jews everywhere. Like with every other elected official, we will judge the mayor-elect on what he does to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe."

In 2023, the UJA-Federation of New York released a study showing that the Big Apple was home to nearly 1 million Jewish people. At the time, Brooklyn was the borough with the most Jews, with 462,000 calling it home, according to the UJA-Federation of New York. Brooklyn was followed by Manhattan, which was home to 277,000 Jews, then Queens with 150,000, Staten Island with 38,000 and the Bronx with 33,000.

Mamdani has faced criticism from the Jewish community over his refusal to condemn the phrase "globalize the intifada" and his stance on Israel, including his vow to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he entered the city while Mamdani was mayor.

Following Mamdani's victory, Minister for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli wrote in an op-ed for Fox News that "the city that once stood as the world’s beacon of liberty has handed the keys of power to a Hamas sympathizer."

"It is almost unthinkable that New York — the proud and historic center of Jewish life — could become the American city where Jews no longer feel at home or safe," Chikli added.

Anti-Israel protesters try to enter the Brooklyn Museum during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza in New York City May 31, 2024.  (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

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Shortly before the election, the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) released a report highlighting its concerns about Mamdani.

"It is incumbent on voters to understand the ideological context that Zohran Mamdani comes from and espouses," Charles Asher Small, founding director of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), said in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital.

The phrase "globalize the intifada" is seen by many Jews as a call to violence in reference to the first and second intifadas in Israel, both of which were intense yearslong periods of terror attacks. The phrase became a common chant as anti-Israel agitators used it at demonstrations during the Israel-Hamas war. 

In its report, ISGAP slammed Mamdani for his refusal to condemn the phrase and his attempt "to distance himself from the slogan by describing it as merely an expression of support for Palestine."

ISGAP also objected to Mamdani's characterization of Israel's actions in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks as a "genocide."

AJC CEO Ted Deutch also commented on the matter in a post-election email to supporters of his organization.

"The Mayor-elect’s refusal to condemn ‘globalize the intifada’ and use of the term ‘genocide’ when describing Israel’s defensive war against Hamas is chilling," Deutch wrote. "The intifadas weren’t abstract political movements — they were waves of terror that slaughtered innocent Jews on buses, in pizza shops, and at nightclubs. When protesters chant this phrase, they’re calling for that violence to spread worldwide. And to call Israel’s self-defensive military operation a ‘genocide’ is not only factually and legally inaccurate, it provides fuel for extremist actors to turn to violence."

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to scold potential Jewish Mamdani voters.

"Any Jewish person that votes for Zohran Mamdani, a proven and self-professed JEW HATER, is a stupid person!!!" Trump said in a Truth Social post Tuesday.

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New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani spoke to supporters at a canvass launch event in Prospect Park Aug. 17, 2025.  (Deirdre Heavey/Fox News Digital)

Despite criticism, Mamdani has made statements claiming he would protect Jewish New Yorkers from antisemitism. During the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, Mamdani wrote on X that he would do "everything in my power to protect Jewish New Yorkers." The comment was made in response to an attack at a synagogue in England.

He also said during the election that it "pains" him when people call him an antisemite.

"And it pains me to be called an antisemite. It pains me to be painted as if I am somehow in opposition to the very Jewish New Yorkers that I know and love and are such a key part of this city," Mamdani told reporters during his campaign.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani's campaign, the UJA-Federation of New York, the JCRC-NY, ADL New York/New Jersey and the New York Board of Rabbis.

Fox News Digital's Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.