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Podcast host Donny Deutsch called out Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic New York City mayoral candidate, on Monday for refusing to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada” during an appearance on MSNBC.
“I’m outraged that we have a candidate for mayor of New York, Mr. Mamdani, that cannot walk back or cannot condemn the words ‘globalize the intifada’ and his nuance of, ‘well, it means different things for different people.’ Well, let me tell you what it means to a Jew — it means violence,” Deutsch said, citing the October 7 terrorist attacks, as well as the Boulder, Colorado attacks.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist, defeated establishment candidate and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic mayoral primary last week.
“That’s the connotation, that’s the essence of it, and that’s what it means to Jewish people. And if any other group came forward and said ‘you know these words are offense to us, it means violence, it frightens us,’ I think there would be a response, but for some reason, if Jewish people find it offensive, it’s not offensive,” Deutsch continued.
HAKEEM JEFFRIES SAYS NYC HOPEFUL MAMDANI NEEDS TO ‘CLARIFY’ HIS POSITION ON ‘GLOBALIZE THE INTIFADA’
The podcast host said it was offensive to him and accused Mandami of running a “campaign of divisiveness.”
“He also came out in the last two days and said, ‘we’re going to tax rich, White neighborhoods.’ Why do you have to put White in there? Just say, we’re going to tax the wealthy. I just find that offensive. I find it offensive that in the past he’s talked about defunding the police. I think he’s walked that back,” Deutsch said.
Mamdani had several opportunities to condemn the “globalize the intifada” phrase during an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
“That’s not language that I use. The language that I use, 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,” Mamdani told NBC’s Kristen Welker. “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 alike.”
SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND URGES ZOHRAN MAMDANI TO DENOUNCE ‘GLOBALIZE THE INTIFADA’ RHETORIC
Welker asked two more times about why he wouldn’t condemn the phrase if it concerned Jewish New Yorkers.
Mamdani argued, “I don’t believe that the role of the mayor is to police speech.”
“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 is not language that I use. It is language I understand there are concerns about, and what I will do is showcase my vision for the city through my words and my actions,” Mamdani added.
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Mamdani’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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