Newsmax’s clip ripping the “Rabbis for Zohran” ad was right on the money — this isn’t outreach, it’s damage control. Conservatives who care about Jewish safety and common-sense government see through the theater: a few sympathetic clergy can’t scrub away a long record of radical rhetoric and dangerous sympathies. The ad reads like a PR memo from Mamdani’s spin doctors, desperate to paper over what his own words and alliances already reveal.
Zohran Mamdani’s record on Israel and national security is not an airy left-wing abstraction; he has publicly labeled Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide, embraced BDS-style positions, and suggested extreme measures like arresting foreign leaders visiting our city — positions that have real world consequences for Jewish safety and diplomatic norms. These aren’t petty disagreements over policy, they are red flags about how he sees America’s allies and how populist outrage could become official policy.
To be clear, a handful of progressive rabbis publicly supporting Mamdani does exist, and they have published essays explaining why they believe his platform aligns with Jewish calls for justice. But their op-ed is an inside-baseball manifesto of identity politics rather than a rebuttal of the very serious questions about his record and associations. Voters should judge substance, not symbols; a campaign filmed at a synagogue doesn’t negate repeated hostile rhetoric toward Israel or the fringe movements that back him.
The backlash has been enormous and bipartisan in its alarm: hundreds of rabbis and community leaders have warned that electing Mamdani would imperil Jewish New Yorkers and legitimize rhetoric that has already fueled threats and violence. When mainstream religious leaders sound the alarm, citizens should listen — this isn’t about stifling debate, it’s about protecting communities from the consequences of radical politics becoming municipal policy.
Mamdani’s campaign has tried the classic leftist playbook — pivot to bread-and-butter city issues and cozy up to select faith leaders while downplaying his national rhetoric. He’s even made token overtures to Hasidic neighborhoods and posted feel-good outreach in Yiddish, as if Yiddish newspaper ads can erase his loud alliances with hard-left groups. That kind of campaigning is cynical and insulting to voters who want honest answers about safety, law enforcement, and foreign policy implications for our largest city.
Conservatives and patriotic Americans should be clear-eyed: identity-driven endorsements are not a substitute for character and competence. If New York is to remain the safe, prosperous engine of our nation, voters must demand a record of standing with our allies and defending law and order, not theatrics designed to blur inconvenient truths. The choice at the ballot box is simple — substance over spin, safety over slogans.
