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Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., blasted Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Monday for not condemning the slogan, “globalize the intifada.”
During a “CNN News Central” segment, the Democratic politician argued how, for many Jewish people, the call for “intifada” is a threat of violence to their community, and reprimanded Mamdani for refusing to outright condemn that language.
“It is deeply offensive. Every elected official, without exception, should condemn it,” Torres told CNN host John Berman.
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Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist and practicing Muslim, recently won a crowded Democratic Party primary for the candidacy of New York City mayor, beating out big-name candidates like former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Since winning, Mamdani has been a lightning rod for controversy due to his economic policy proposals and dodging condemnation of the anti-Israeli slogan.
On NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday, host Kristen Welker asked Mamdani if he would condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada.” The politician avoided a direct condemnation multiple times over the course of the interview.
“Do you condemn that phrase, ‘globalize the intifada’?” Welker asked.
“That’s not language that I use,” Mamdani replied. “The language that I use, and the language that I will continue to use to lead this city, is that which speaks clearly to my intent, which is an intent grounded in the belief in universal human rights.”
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When asked again, he said, “I don’t believe that the role of the mayor is to police speech.”
Elsewhere, the candidate argued that to condemn the phrase puts him “into a place similar to that of the president, who is looking to do those very kinds of things, putting people in jail for writing an op-ed, putting them in jail for protesting.”
When asked what he thought of Mamdani’s answers on Sunday, Torres did not hold back, arguing that the prospective mayor condemning such rhetoric is necessary and not on the level of throwing people in jail over certain speech.
“I strongly disagree. No one‘s advocating for imprisonment. I mean, every elected official has an obligation to condemn hatred, whether it‘s antisemitism or Islamophobia,” the congressman said.
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“You know, the second Intifada refers to a wave of terror attacks, suicide bombings and slashings and stabbings that left more than a thousand Israelis and Jews dead. And so, when one uses the word intifada, it causes profound pain and trauma to the Jewish community,” Torres added.
Other Democratic Party figures have called on Mamdani to denounce the phrase in recent days. MSNBC host Rev. Al Sharpton called on him to do so during an MSNBC panel on Monday.
Sen. Kristen Gillibrand, D-N.Y., did the same.
“He should denounce it. And that’s it. Period,” she said on “The Brian Lehrer Show” last week.
During an appearance on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said, “‘Globalizing the intifada,’ by way of example, is not an acceptable phrase. He’s going to have to clarify his position on that as he moves forward.”
Mamdani’s team has not replied to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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