Posted on 11/21/25
| News Source: Arutz-7
Israeli Minister of Aliyah and Integration Ofir Sofer condemned New York City Mayor-elect Zohan Mamdani's response to the antisemitic protest that was held outside Manhattan's Park East Synagogue on Wednesday.
"Mamdani is disgracing the United States and its values. Instead of standing firmly against antisemitism and protecting the Jewish community, he repeatedly chooses to encourage hostility toward Jews and toward the State of Israel. Jews must be able to live with dignity and security in New York, just as anywhere else," Sofer stated.
"During the war, we witnessed a broad and welcome wave of Aliyah to Israel to the Gaza Envelope, the north, Judea and Samaria, and Jerusalem. I am pleased to see that many Jews remain interested in making Aliyah. I call on them- come," the minister said.
The demonstration was held in protest against a Nefesh B'Nefesh Aliyah event at the synagogue. Protesters shouted calls for violence, including “From New York to Gaza, globalize the Intifada."
While Mamdani's staff have condemned the antisemitic protest outside the synagogue, Mamdani himself has been silent on the incident.
Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for Mamdani, told Fox News Digital that Mamdani has "discouraged the language used at last night’s protest and will continue to do so."
"He believes every New Yorker should be free to enter a house of worship without intimidation, and that these sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law," Pekec added.
Mamdani, who won the mayoral election earlier this month, is notorious for his anti-Israel actions, including his criticism of Israel on October 8, 2023 - just one day after the Hamas massacre in southern Israel, as well as his refusal to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada” - which was shouted by the protesters on Wednesday night.
He has repeatedly accused Israel of war crimes in its battle against Hamas in Gaza, and has vowed to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York City.
Data released by the New York City Police Department on the day before the mayoral election revealed that Jews were the victims in 62% of all hate crimes reported last month, with 29 antisemitic incidents out of a total of 47.
On the very day that Mamdani was elected, swastikas were sprayed on the Magen David Yeshiva in Brooklyn.