Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing sharp criticism from Jewish leaders and advocacy groups after he described the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and its pro-Israel supporters as “monsters” during a campaign rally in Brooklyn.
The comments came during a June 18 event at the Kings Theatre, where Mamdani appeared alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders and several Democratic Socialists of America-backed and progressive candidates ahead of Tuesday’s primary elections.
Chaim Steinmetz, senior rabbi of Kehilath Jeshurun synagogue on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, accused Mamdani of using dangerous language at a time when antisemitic incidents remain a serious concern in New York and across the country.
“Mamdani is accusing AIPAC of being a monster that subverts democracy, supports genocide, and wants to divide Americans. This is pure incitement,” Steinmetz wrote on social media.
The rabbi said he feared rhetoric like Mamdani’s could encourage people already hostile toward Jews or pro-Israel activists to act violently. He pointed to Elias Rodriguez, the man charged with killing two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C., in May 2025, as an example of how political anger can turn deadly.
“Well, I’m an AIPAC supporter. And Mamdani is inciting hatred against people like me,” Steinmetz said.
During the rally, Mamdani accused AIPAC of using large sums of money to influence elections and help pro-Israel candidates win office.
“Now is the time of monsters,” Mamdani said in his speech. “These monsters take many forms today.”
He went on to criticize those he said fund “bad-faith attacks” and spend heavily on political contributions. Referring directly to AIPAC, he said the group feared “democracy being allowed to run its course” and “an end to genocide and Netanyahu’s wars.”
Mamdani also said AIPAC moves “millions in dark money” to preserve its power and “turn us against one another.”
Steinmetz rejected that framing, arguing that Mamdani was the one deepening division in the city.
“New York already has an antisemitism problem. Right now, you are pouring fuel on the fire,” he wrote. “I shudder to think what happens next. But you will be responsible for it.”
The Simon Wiesenthal Center also condemned Mamdani’s remarks. Jim Berk, the group’s CEO, said the claim that AIPAC exists to spread division and gain influence echoes older antisemitic accusations about Jewish power and manipulation.
“The suggestion that Jewish political participation is inherently suspect, illegitimate, or secretly manipulative is abhorrent,” Berk said. “This is the same old story, retold in a new language.”
Berk added that many advocacy groups lobby, donate, and support candidates, but Jewish organizations are often singled out in ways that rely on familiar antisemitic themes.
The Anti-Defamation League also called on Mamdani to apologize, saying his remarks crossed a dangerous line.
“Referring to members of the Jewish community who advocate for causes they care about as ‘monsters’ wielding ‘dark money’ is shockingly offensive and unacceptable for a mayor who claims to represent all New Yorkers,” ADL New York/New Jersey said in a statement.
Jonathan Greenblatt, the ADL’s national CEO, described Mamdani’s language as “bigoted conspiracy mongering” and said it was especially troubling coming from the mayor of a city with high levels of antisemitism.
Mamdani has long been a critic of Israel. He supports the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement and has repeatedly accused Israel of carrying out a “genocidal war” in Gaza. Last year, he also said he would move to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes.
His comments come amid growing tensions over Israel within the Democratic Party, rising antisemitism, and continued turmoil in the Middle East involving Israel, Iran, the United States, and Hezbollah.