More than 700 rabbis have called on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to apologize for referring to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as "monsters." In a letter, the rabbis stated that Mamdani's comments, made at a rally ahead of New York City's Democratic primaries, constitute "dehumanization" and put "a target on the backs of American Jews and their allies."
During the June 18 rally, Mamdani described AIPAC as "monsters" who use "millions in dark money to accomplish a single goal — to preserve their power, so that they can turn us against one another." The rabbis' letter, signed by clergy with diverse views on Israel and the conflict in Gaza, expressed concern that such rhetoric could fuel antisemitism, which is reportedly on the rise.
"Mr. Mamdani’s words matter because they were spoken by the leader of the city with the largest Jewish population outside Israel. They matter because antisemitism in America is rising," the letter reads, adding that the comments were "beneath the office he holds."
Mamdani defended his remarks on Monday, stating that his use of the word "monsters" was a quote from philosopher Antonio Gramsci, intended to describe "all those who are preventing the birth of a new world." He elaborated that he was referring to "super PACs at large" and their use of "millions of dollars in deceptive and misleading ads." When asked about criticism concerning antisemitism, Mamdani's team pointed to a previous statement where he emphasized the city's commitment to safety for all New Yorkers, including a $26 million annual investment in hate crime prevention.
The mayor further clarified his stance on AIPAC, telling reporters, "We're talking about a status quo where children are being killed on a daily basis." He stated that AIPAC has been "supportive of the status quo" and has "fought any attempt to actually deliver safety to people not just in Palestine, but frankly, through much of the region."
Mamdani's remarks have drawn criticism from prominent Jewish leaders beyond the group of rabbis. U.S. Representative Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that "Swap 'AIPAC' for 'Jews' and it’s the oldest antisemitic conspiracy theory in the books." He added that Mamdani's statements were "laundering antisemitism from your podium as Mayor of a city with more than a million Jews." Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called the comments "prejudice" and labeled them "deliberate, dangerous and disgraceful," comparing them to rhetoric from "unhinged streamers or white supremacists."
The rabbis concluded their letter by urging Mamdani to apologize, retract his statements, and affirm that "Jews and pro-Israel Americans are full participants in our democracy." They emphasized that while policy debates and disagreements about Israel are valid, "no elected leader should demonize Jews or those who stand with the Jewish state."