In recent weeks, questions about Jews, Israel and Zohran Mamdani have come back to the forefront. It began with a dramatic pulpit speech by the rabbi of a prominent New York synagogue, Elliot Cosgrove, and was kept in the news by a public letter signed by about 600 rabbis and cantors. I don’t know how widespread this was in the mainstream press, but it was broadcast on loudspeaker in Jewish community publications. Cosgrove began his speech (you can call it a sermon if you want) by saying that he believed that “Zohran Mamdani represents a danger to the security of the Jewish community of New York” and a “danger to the Jewish body politic of New York City.” The public letter addresses similar points and generally conveys the same message.
I have nothing unique or new to add, but as I have written here and there over the past couple of years about Israel, Jews, and Gaza, as well as once or twice about Mamdani, I thought I should share my opinion. More specifically, a growing number of TPM readers have asked me to respond to these accusations, either from the perspective of agreeing with them or wanting me to denounce them.
So, once that introduction is out of the way, these claims seem to me not only false, but also absurd. It’s absurd as in: What the hell are we talking about? absurd. And I say this despite the fact that I disagree with Mamdani on many points related to Zionism and Israel.
