NYC mayor on Mamdani’s primary win: ‘The Jewish community should be concerned’

New York City Mayor Eric Adams says Jews in the city should be concerned about yesterday’s Democratic party mayoral primary win by Zohran Mamdani, a harsh critic of Israel.

Adams says Mamdani “has been unwilling to just address some of the basic issues as just the acknowledgement of Israel and his real unwillingness to talk about some of the behavior that has played out on our streets.”

“During some of the protests [it] was really disrespectful. In some cases, I think it is antisemitic rhetoric, and so I think that the Jewish community should be concerned,” Adams tells RUSA Radio, a station catering to Russian-speakers.

“If the Jewish community cannot feel safe in the city where it’s the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, then when can they feel safe? And I think it’s problematic when you have a socialist who is displaying antisemitic views to be able to run and be elected in New York City,” Adams says, according to a transcript from the mayor’s office.

Mamdani, a state assemblyman from Queens and a member of the far-left Democratic Socialists of America, is the presumed candidate for the party in the November mayoral general election. His leading opponent, former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, conceded the race yesterday.

Adams, a firm supporter of Israel who has longstanding ties to Jewish communities, is running as an independent in the general election.