NEW YORK – More than 650 rabbis across the United States have signed an open letter denouncing New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani for what they call “dangerous anti-Zionist rhetoric” that encourages “hostility toward Jews,” according to Jewish news outlets and the authors of the letter. The signatories urged New Yorkers to reject language that delegitimizes Jewish identity and to unite across political differences to protect the Jewish community.
The letter, circulated publicly this week and reported by Jewish news outlets, argues that Mamdaniโs public statements and policy positions cross a line from political disagreement into efforts that delegitimize Jewish national self-determination. The rabbis warned that normalizing such rhetoric risks translating political debate into threats to Jewish safety and dignity in cities with large Jewish populations.
Authors of the letter framed their appeal in moral terms. They wrote that now is the time “for everyone to unite across political and moral divides and to reject the language that seeks to delegitimize our Jewish identity and our community.” The signatories represent a range of denominational backgrounds and geographic locations, and the roster has continued to grow since the initial publication. Some reports indicate the total of endorsing rabbis has since climbed above 1,000.
Critics of Mamdani have highlighted past comments and positions that concerned Jewish leaders. Those concerns include his refusal in some forums to explicitly recognize Israel as the Jewish state, past support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, and rhetoric at times characterized by opponents as hostile toward Israel. Supporters of Mamdani stress his focus on municipal issues and say attacks on his record have at times become politically charged.
The episode has intensified debates within New York about how candidates should discuss Israel and Jewish identity while campaigning on local issues. Pro-Israel groups say elected officials must clearly oppose political movements and rhetoric that deny Israelโs legitimacy or that result in the dehumanization of Jews. They argue that failure to do so can embolden harassment and violence against Jewish individuals and institutions.
Mamdani and his campaign have pushed back against some of the allegations. The candidate has emphasized that Jewish New Yorkers deserve safety and security and has framed many of his past statements as critiques of policy rather than attacks on Jewish people. His defenders say that labeling critics as being uniformly anti-Jewish risks conflating legitimate political dissent with bigotry.
Jewish and civic leaders quoted in the coverage urged elected officials and community leaders to draw clear red lines. They called for language that both protects free political expression and explicitly condemns statements that single out or delegitimize Jewish people or Jewish national self-determination. The letterโs authors said symbolic gestures are inadequate and that leaders must name and oppose the specific ideologies and phrases that contribute to a climate of intolerance.
The signatory campaign illustrates wider tensions in American politics over Israel, free speech, and communal safety. Observers say municipal races with large, diverse electorates will likely remain battlegrounds for these issues. For Jewish communities, the immediate concern is practical: ensuring that elected officials will defend their safety and that public discourse does not normalize delegitimization or hostility.
As the roster of rabbis signing the letter increases, pro-Israel groups and synagogue leaders have signaled they will monitor candidatesโ statements more closely and press for explicit commitments to combat antisemitism. Campaigns and civic leaders in New York face pressure to articulate clear policy positions and provide public reassurances to Jewish constituents.
This article is based on verified information from Times of Israel, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Jewish Insider, Combat Antisemitism Movement, and other Jewish community and mainstream news reports.