Socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s father, a Columbia University professor, has sparked controversy with his radical anti-Israel views. Mahmood Mamdani, 79, has used his X account to push narratives that critics say fuel division and antisemitism, as Fox News reports. His posts, uncovered by Fox News Digital, raise questions about the influence of such ideologies in New York City’s political landscape.
Mahmood Mamdani, a professor of anthropology at Columbia, has a history of anti-Israel rhetoric, including posts praising a “Third Intifada” against what he calls “settler colonialism.” His son, Zohran, running for mayor, faces scrutiny for not condemning similar calls for intifada, which Jewish groups argue endorses violence. This father-son duo’s stance has become a lightning rod in the mayoral race.
In October 2014, Mahmood Mamdani posted a tribute on X to Ali Mazrui, a controversial activist known for inflammatory remarks about Jews. Mazrui once likened Jews to “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” claiming they carried “a certain kind of impurity.” Such associations raise eyebrows about the elder Mamdani’s judgment, especially for a prominent academic.
Mamdani’s tribute to Mazrui, with whom he co-hosted a panel, suggests a troubling alignment with divisive figures. The Middle East Forum flagged Mazrui’s history of antisemitic tropes, yet Mamdani celebrated him without reservation. This choice fuels concerns about the professor’s ideological leanings.
In May 2021, during a violent Israel-Hamas conflict, Mamdani posted on X, declaring Israel’s actions a “colonial occupation.” He framed Palestinian actions as a “right to resist,” a stance critics argue sanitizes violence. Such rhetoric, blasted as one-sided, ignores the complexities of the conflict.
“When all ranks of the Occupation … claim ‘the right of self-defense,’ what language is left … but the right to resist?” Mamdani wrote on May 21, 2021. This quote, dripping with anti-Israel sentiment, dismisses Israel’s security concerns while glorifying resistance. It’s the kind of academic wordplay that critics say stokes division.
Mamdani’s X posts didn’t stop there; he claimed a “Third Intifada” was born in Jerusalem, spreading to Gaza and beyond. “This is not a conflict between Israel and Hamas,” he wrote, calling it a fight against “settler colonialism.” Such language, critics charge, romanticizes violence while ignoring Hamas’s role.
“The resistance … began in Jerusalem and spread … We are witnessing … the birth of the Third Intifadah!” Mamdani posted in May 2021. His enthusiasm for a “Third Intifada” alarms Jewish groups, who see it as a call for unrest. This isn’t scholarship—it’s activism dressed up as academia.
Zohran Mamdani, meanwhile, has dodged condemning calls for a “global intifada,” drawing fire from Jewish organizations. His refusal to distance himself from such rhetoric mirrors his father’s views, suggesting a shared ideological thread. Critics argue this silence speaks volumes about his priorities.
After the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre, Mahmood Mamdani joined the Columbia faculty in physically blocking Jewish students on campus, including economics student Avi Weinberg, from a pro-Palestine encampment. Wearing orange vests, they locked arms to exclude dissenters, a move critics call intimidation, not free speech. Columbia’s campus, a hotbed for pro-Palestine protests, amplifies these tensions.
“Palestinians have a right to resist. This is a colonial occupation, not a conflict!” Mamdani posted on X. This absolutist view, critics say, shuts down dialogue and paints Israel as the sole villain. It’s a simplistic narrative that thrives on outrage, not reason.
Brooke Goldstein, a human rights attorney, slammed the Mamdani family’s rhetoric as “fundamentally anti-American” and antisemitic. “Zohran Mamdani has built his political brand on the same radical, hate-filled … ideology his father … has spent decades promoting,” she told Fox News Digital. Her critique underscores the broader implications for New York’s mayoral race.
Goldstein further argued that the Mamdani family’s views threaten “the peace and security of our communities.” She called their ideology a “window on anti-Jewish and anti-democratic radicalization” that corrupts young minds. This is a sharp rebuke of their influence in academia and politics.
“If Zohran Mamdani can’t -- or won’t -- disavow these beliefs, we have every reason to be alarmed,” Goldstein added. Her warning highlights the stakes: a mayoral candidate tied to divisive rhetoric could deepen community rifts. Voters, she implies, deserve better.
Mahmood Mamdani’s role on an anti-Israel organization’s advisory council, which backs boycotts and sanctions, cements his activist credentials. Described by Canary Mission as a “Marxist” professor obsessed with “colonialism,” he’s a polarizing figure at Columbia. Fox News Digital’s requests for comment from both Mamdani and his son’s campaign went unanswered, leaving their side of the story untold.
