Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania went after New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday for not condemning radical rhetoric that he described as “blatantly anti-Semitic.”
“I’ll say this about Mamdani or any other leader,” Shapiro reportedly said during an interview with Jewish Insider. “If you want to lead New York, you want to lead Pennsylvania, you want to lead the United States of America, you’re a leader.”
“I don’t care if you’re a Republican or Democratic leader or a democratic socialist leader,” he continued. “You have to speak and act with moral clarity, and when supporters of yours say things that are blatantly anti-Semitic, you can’t leave room for that to just sit there. You’ve got to condemn that.”
Shapiro added, “He seemed to run a campaign that excited New Yorkers. He also seemed to run a campaign where he left open far too much space for extremists to either use his words or for him to not condemn the words of extremists that said some blatantly anti-Semitic things.”
The Democratic governor is likely referring to Mamdani’s support for Palestinian protesters and his initial refusal to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which is used by pro-Palestinian activists to push for an international uprising.
Mamdani compared the phrase to “a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights,” during an interview last month.
“To the question of language … I am someone who — I would say — am less comfortable with the idea of banning the use of certain words. And that I think it is more evocative of a Trump-style approach to how to lead a country,” he said, before the host cut him off, to ask again if radical phrasing like “globalize the intifada” made him uncomfortable.
Mamdani replied, “I know people, for whom those things mean very different things … As a Muslim man who grew up post-9/11, I’m all too familiar in the way in which Arabic words can be twisted, can be distorted, can be used to justify any kind of meaning.”
The New York Times reported last week that Mamdani walked back his comments — and claimed he would discourage use of the phrase going forward– during a meeting with city business leaders.
But he only did so after receiving heavy backlash.
That’s a far cry from publicly denouncing it, and explaining the rationale behind why he’s pulling a 180.
His base is drifting further and further left. If he were to publicly show any type of support for Israel, it could doom his candidacy — even if it was indirect.
When a popular Democrat from a vital swing state is calling you out directly, however, you know your party has a long-term problem.
The infighting between establishment leadership and younger lawmakers like Mamdani is poised to cause a civil war between Democrats.
One side is trying to offer some sort of middle path — while also hitting on extreme social points — in order to realistically govern and win nationwide.
The other side has admitted to wanting a communist takeover of government, property rights, grocery stores, gun ownership, wages, and pricing, while promising to punish certain people for the color of their skin.
No matter how this shakes out, there likely won’t be any compromise.
Democrats will either get the message and move closer to the center, or keep marching toward the fringe in an effort to tear down the fabric of American exceptionalism at all costs.
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