Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania has publicly criticized New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, particularly regarding Mamdani’s response to remarks deemed antisemitic during the recent primary election.
Shapiro emphasized that Mamdani’s campaign left too much leeway for extremists to misinterpret his words without proper condemnation of their statements.
In an interview with the Jewish Insider, Shapiro stated, “He seemed to run a campaign that excited New Yorkers. He also seemed to run a campaign where he left open far too much space for extremists to either use his words or for him to not condemn the words of extremists that said some blatantly antisemitic things.”
Mamdani’s path to victory is not assured as he faces competition from Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, who is the founder of the Guardian Angels, as well as independent challengers including former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and current Mayor Eric Adams, both of whom are Democrats.
Criticism towards Mamdani has intensified, particularly due to his failure to explicitly condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada.” Although he has stated he would “discourage” its use, many view this response as insufficient.
During a recent appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Mamdani, who is a Muslim, distanced himself from such language and asserted his commitment to protecting the rights of Jewish New Yorkers.
He said, “The language that I use and the language that I will continue to use to lead this city is that which speaks clearly to my intent, which is an intent grounded in a belief in universal human rights.”
Shapiro expressed that to lead effectively in New York, Pennsylvania, or anywhere in the United States, leaders must possess moral clarity and condemn antisemitic remarks made by their supporters.
He asserted, “If you want to lead New York, you want to lead Pennsylvania, you want to lead the United States of America, you’re a leader. I don’t care if you’re a Republican or Democratic leader or a Democratic socialist leader. You have to speak and act with moral clarity, and when supporters of yours say things that are blatantly antisemitic, you can’t leave room for that to just sit there. You’ve got to condemn it.”
As some progressive factions celebrate Mamdani’s electoral victory as a potential model for future Democratic candidates, moderate party members express skepticism regarding his policies and their implications on a national level.
U.S. Senator John Fetterman, who has consistently shown his support for Israel and disavowed the “progressive” label, openly criticized Mamdani, stating, “Everything that I’ve read on him, I don’t really agree with virtually any of it, politically. That’s just where I’m at as a Democrat. He’s not even a Democrat, honestly.”
Fetterman added that Mamdani’s success may provide an opening for Republicans to redefine the brand of the Democratic party.
Shapiro also raised alarms about the waning support for Israel in the United States and highlighted the necessity for both American leaders and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to foster better relationships across party lines.
He remarked, “I think if you care about the future safety and security of Israel, and you’re the leader of Israel as Netanyahu is at present time, you’ve got to find ways to build bridges to people in both parties, to leaders in both parties.”
Shapiro differentiated between opposing the policies of a government and questioning the very existence of Israel, asserting, “There are policies of the Netanyahu government that I don’t support, I’ve been very vocal about that. But there’s a difference between not supporting the policies of whoever’s in charge at a particular time, and the underlying notion of a Jewish state of Israel.”
He concluded by stressing the importance of strengthening the understanding of Israel among the American populace and reinforcing the U.S. relationship with the Jewish state.
image source from：pennlive
