Appointees of NYC Mayor-elect Mamdani linked to anti-Zionist groups, ADL says

At least 20 percent of New York City’s elected mayors Zohran MamdaniAdministration appointees are linked to groups described as anti-Zionist, according to a report released Monday by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

The report found that more than 80 people, among Mamdani’s more than 400 transition and administration appointees, either have ties to such groups or have a “documented history of anti-Israel statements.”

The organization said Mamdani’s appointees to the Transition Committee were linked to groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine, a pro-Palestinian academic activism network; Jewish Voice for Peace, an American Jewish anti-Zionist organization; and Within Our Lifetime, a New York-based anti-Zionist group “known for leading protests outside synagogues.”

For example, the ADL said at least four named individuals had ties to Louis Farrakhan, the anti-Semitic leader of the Nation of Islam. One of those named, Jacques Léandre, was cited for allegedly attending a conference at which Farrakhan denounced “Jews and their power.”

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Several other named individuals have also been cited for statements that appear to support or justify violence against Israel and the attacks of October 7. According to the ADL, Kazi Fouzia posted on Facebook a few hours after the attacks that “the Resistance is [sic] Justified When People Are Busy” with video footage of an anti-Israel protest that took place that day in Manhattan.

The report continues to identify other named individuals who have publicly expressed hostility toward Zionism.

Examples included Fahd Ahmed, who was quoted as saying: “Zionism is racism“; Ruha Benjamin, who allegedly signed a statement claiming that Israel was “ideologically based on Jewish supremacy”; Lisa Ohta, who was accused of referencing the “genocidal ideology of Zionism”; and Mohammed Karim Chowdhury, who shared a message claiming that “Zionists are worse than… Nazis.”

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The organization also identified Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari, who allegedly posted a photo of herself in an encampment in front of a banner displaying an inverted red triangle, a symbol associated with Hamas, next to the text “LONG LIVE THE RESISTANCE.”

The report also said that at least 12 appointees publicly expressed support for anti-Israel encampments on campus in spring 2024, at least five of whom attended the protests in person. The ADL highlighted Gianpaolo Baiocchi, who was reportedly arrested at the NYU encampment and later claimed no hate speech was present. The ADL disputes this claim, citing leaflets distributed in the camp calling for “Death to Israeli Real Estate” and “Death to America.”

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Mamdani, who takes office on January 1, has repeatedly stressed that he opposes anti-Semitism.

The ADL noted that many of the appointees did not express concerns and pointed out that at least 25 people expressed support for the Jewish community, including Rabbi Joe Potasnik, Félix Matos Rodríguez, Wayne Ho, John King and Jerry Goldfeder. However, the organization expressed concern about the fate of Mamdani’s team as a whole.

“Many appointments to Mayor-elect Mamdani’s transition committee are inconsistent with his campaign commitments to prioritize people’s safety. The Jewish community of New York” the ADL wrote in the report.

Fox News Digital has contacted Mamdani for further comment.