When Queens Republican Councilwoman Joann Ariola went on National Report to sound the alarm about the Jewish community’s fears under Mayor Zohran Mamdani, she did what elected conservatives should do: tell the truth plainly and defend neighbors who feel abandoned by City Hall. Ariola’s warning echoes the growing anxiety on the ground in neighborhoods that have long been safe havens for Jewish families. The city’s political leadership cannot shrug off those fears or pretend that rhetoric has no consequences.
The concern is not invented; Mamdani’s rhetoric and associations during the campaign raised legitimate red flags for many voters, from his flirtation with BDS to his hesitance to denounce the chant “globalize the intifada,” a phrase tied to violent movements and real-world harm. When a mayoral candidate refuses to unequivocally reject language that has historically been used to incite violence against Jews, it is reasonable — not paranoid — for parents to worry about their children’s safety. This is about public safety and common sense, not partisan posturing.
National organizations responded accordingly, with the ADL launching a “Mamdani Monitor” and a tipline to protect Jewish New Yorkers and hold City Hall accountable if threats escalate. No one should be surprised that community leaders are taking steps to monitor an administration that has raised concerns; the ADL’s move is a sober, pragmatic response to a spike in antisemitic incidents across the city. Urban mayors have a basic obligation to reassure and protect vulnerable communities, and outside groups are stepping in because too many in power refuse to recognize the threat.
Even outgoing Mayor Eric Adams and other Jewish leaders publicly warned that this transition could be dangerous for the city’s Jewish neighborhoods, saying people should be concerned and prepare for harder days ahead. Those warnings should not be dismissed as fearmongering; they come from people who have seen the pattern of rhetoric translating into vandalism, harassment, and worse. When local officials and national Jewish organizations speak in unison, it’s time for the public and political class to listen.
What Ariola and other conservatives are demanding is simple accountability: a mayor who will loudly and clearly denounce antisemitism, distance himself from dangerous slogans and associations, and prioritize security for synagogues, schools, and small businesses. New Yorkers deserve leaders who put safety over ideology and who understand that tolerating hostile rhetoric against one group weakens liberty for all. The left’s experiments with radical ideas have consequences, and the people paying the price right now are ordinary families trying to feel safe in their city.
If Mayor Mamdani wants to earn trust, he should welcome scrutiny and demonstrate, through action not words, that protecting Jewish New Yorkers is a top priority — not a political afterthought. Conservatives will keep pressing for transparency and practical solutions: more police presence where needed, tougher prosecution of hate crimes, and clear, public condemnations of any rhetoric that fans the flames. The ADL and local leaders have begun the work of vigilance; patriotic citizens must stand with them and insist that the enemy within the gates finds no comfort in our streets.
