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Mamdani says Hamas should ‘lay down their arms’ as Israel, Gaza and antisemitism reign in NYC mayoral debate
A day after deflecting questions on Fox News about whether Hamas should “lay down their weapons and leave the leadership in Gaza,” New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani offered an answer.
“Of course I believe that they should lay down their arms,” Mamdani said. “I’m proud to be one of the first elected officials in the state who called for a ceasefire, and calling for a ceasefire means ceasing fire. That means all parties have to cease fire and put down their weapons.”
Mamdani’s comment came as the city’s three main mayoral candidates convened Thursday night for the first general election debate, which focused extensively on Jewish issues including Israel and antisemitism.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist who is the Democratic nominee, faced questions about his views on Israel, Hamas and whether Jewish New Yorkers could count on him to combat antisemitism. As he has throughout the campaign, he sharply criticized Israel, following his response about Hamas to harshly criticizing Israel’s actions in Gaza, both before and after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack.
“The reason that we call for that [ceasefire] is not only for an end of the genocide, but also an unimpeded access of humanitarian aid,” he said. “I, like many New Yorkers, am hopeful that this ceasefire will hold. I’m hopeful that it is durable. I’m hopeful that it’s just.”
He continued, “And for it to be just, we also have to be hopeful that it addresses the conditions that preceded this — conditions like occupation, like the siege and apartheid.”
Unlike the Democratic primary debates, during which Mamdani was an underdog candidate, the Queens state Assembly member was the favorite this time around. His opponents, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa (sans his trademark red beret), repeatedly challenged his ability to represent Jewish New Yorkers.
“Jews don’t trust that you are going to be there for them when they are victims of antisemitic attacks,” Sliwa charged.
“I agree, by the way,” Cuomo chimed in, in a rare moment of unity.
Cuomo, who is polling second and has garnered endorsements from several Jewish groups since Mayor Eric Adams dropped out, said, “There are a lot of Jewish New Yorkers who support me because they think you’re antisemitic.”
Asked if he agreed with those accusations, Cuomo said, “I don’t make those judgements about people — are you a racist? Are you an antisemite?” But Cuomo pointed to Mamdani “not condemning ‘globalize the intifada’” as a reason that some Jewish New Yorkers hold that belief.
Mamdani, who has drawn criticism for declining to condemn the phrase, spoke about his conversations with Jewish New Yorkers that eventually led him to “discourage” its, which he added that he himself does not use.
“It’s in those conversations that I learned that this phrase evokes many painful memories — memories of bus attacks in Haifa, restaurant attacks in Jerusalem,” he said, repeating comments he has made before. “I heard from a rabbi about their roommate who was killed on one of those buses.”
The candidates spoke about Jewish safety amid rising antisemitism.
Sliwa touted his record of protecting Jewish communities with the Guardian Angels during the Crown Heights riots in 1991 and in Williamsburg in 2019 following a series of assaults on Orthodox Jews.
Cuomo attacked Mamdani for what he characterized as his declining to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, and called the Democratic nominee a “divisive personality.” (Mamdani countered that he has said “time and time again” that he recognizes Israel’s right to exist, but “would not recognize any state’s right to exist with a system of hierarchy on the basis of race or religion,” pointing to Saudi Arabia as another example.)
Mamdani, meanwhile, said he will “be a mayor who finally addresses” Jewish New Yorkers’ fear of living in the city, “not through the theatrics of politics on this stage, but through action.”
“I’ll do that by ensuring that we have police officers outside synagogues on the High Holy Days,” Mamdani said, before the moderator moved to the next question.
Mamdani and Cuomo spent much of the debate trading barbs, while Sliwa sought to stand out from Cuomo as the best challenger to Mamdani. Sliwa was complimentary of Trump’s peace deal between Israel and Hamas, saying the president “should’ve been applauded.”
“Give credit where credit’s due — he’s brought peace to Gaza,” Sliwa said.
Cuomo countered that he did “applaud President Trump and his administration” for the deal, but positioned himself as the best candidate to take on Trump.
“You’re not going to stand up to Donald Trump,” Cuomo said to Sliwa. He then used a Yiddish term to get his point across to Mamdani: “And you can’t stand up to Donald Trump, who’d knock him right on his tuches.”
One rare point of overlap between Mamdani and Cuomo was that they each spoke positively of police commissioner Jessica Tisch, who is Jewish. Both have indicated openness to having her remain on the job.
“I agree with Commissioner Tisch in that we do not need the National Guard here in New York City,” Mamdani said.
Cuomo, meanwhile, said, “I think Commissioner Tisch is doing a very good job, I would trust her,” when explaining why he, unlike Mamdani, would leave the commissioner on the Civilian Complaint Review Board.
The candidates were each questioned about whether they would boycott any of the city’s many parades. While Cuomo and Sliwa both insisted that they would not boycott any, Mamdani sidestepped the question.
“There are many parades that I would not be attending because I’d be focusing on the work of leading the city,” Mamdani said, though he declined to specify which ones he would miss.
New York City mayors have historically attended the city’s annual Israel parade; Mamdani has not commented about whether he would attend the parade as mayor. His campaign has indicated that he would not seek to prevent the parade, a fear that some pro-Israel New Yorkers have expressed.
Mamdani was also asked about whether he would continue to participate in pro-Palestinian protests, as he did in the months after Oct. 7 while serving in the State Assembly.
“If I’m elected, I’ll be the mayor,” Mamdani responded. “And I’ll be leading the city from City Hall.”
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Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens ‘Significantly Increased’ Anti-Israel Content in 2025, Study Shows
Tucker Carlson speaks at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, Oct. 21, 2025. Photo: Gage Skidmore/ZUMA Press Wire via Reuters Connect
Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens ramped up their anti-Israel and, in some cases, overtly antisemitic content over the last year, according to a new study, which tracked the prominent far-right podcasters’ disproportionate emphasis on attacking the Jewish state in 2025.
The Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI), a think tank based in Israel, used artificial intelligence to analyze the transcripts from 3,000 videos posted to the YouTube channels of Carlson and Owens, each of whom has collected more than five million subscribers. JPPI researchers looked at keywords around Jews and Israel, comparing how the populist-nationalist presenters spoke about those subjects compared to other nations and peoples.
The report identified February 2025 as when Owens initiated her anti-Israel shift, while noting Carlson intensified his focus on disparaging the Jewish state in April.
“Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens have significantly intensified their focus on Israel in recent months, accompanied by a marked escalation in anti-Israel rhetoric and, in the case of Owens, explicit antisemitism,” the research stated. “While both figures have long been known for their critical stance toward Israel, the study documents a sharp and recent increase in both the volume and intensity of negative content.”
The report described how for Carlson “the share of negative content about Israel rose sharply from 48.9% in the previous six-month period to 70.3% over the last six months,” while for Owens “the primary change in her case is quantitative — a substantial increase in the overall volume of such negative content.”
Specific instances of hate cited in the report included that “across multiple videos, both figures employ sharp rhetoric, including comparisons between Israel and Hamas, use of the term ‘genocide,’ accusations of deliberately killing children, and the circulation of conspiracy narratives alleging Israeli influence over the United States.”
Analysts deployed OpenAI’s o3 reasoning model to make the assessment regarding whether Owens or Carlson’s statements ran afoul of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, which has been widely adopted by hundreds of governing institutions, including the US State Department, European Union, and United Nations.
For Owens’ videos fed into the analysis, 45 percent initially came up as antisemitic. However, that number in the past six months “rose to roughly 75% — nearly double the rate for the previous six-month period.”
The report described how many of these videos by Owens described Jews as part of a “cult” or engaged in “Jewish supremacy.”
“Antisemitism on the American far right is now overt and out in the open,” JPPI Director-General Shuki Friedman said in a statement. “The data should serve as a flashing warning light for Israel and its leadership regarding the kind of support it can expect from the right, today and in the future. Only a determined effort to counter this extremism can help preserve this vital base of support in the United States.”
In November, The Algemeiner reported that Owens admitted she had become “obsessed” with the Jewish people.
A user asked Owens directly, “Why are you so obsessed with Jews?”
The longtime associate of Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, answered, “Because they are so obsessed with me. Feeling is mutual now.”
In March, Owens argued that Jeffrey Epstein-style blackmail plots undergirded the US-Israel relationship and that “this is the reason we don’t get to open the Epstein files, we don’t get to open the JFK files.” She asserted that a special relationship between the US and the Jewish state was actually “a form of gaslighting.”
In recent months, Carlson’s decision to platform white supremacist podcaster Nick Fuentes has roiled the American political right, prompting resignations within the Heritage Foundation following its president Kevin Robert’s choice to support his longtime friend’s decision to platform a vocal advocate of Adolf Hitler.
Carlson also provoked condemnations when appearing to suggest a Jewish hand behind the killings of both Jesus of Nazareth and conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
On Monday, the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) highlighted statements that Carlson had made during a Saturday interview with The American Conservative, the longtime paleo-conservative publication founded by perennial presidential candidate Pat Buchanan.
CAM described how in the interview, “Carlson described pro-Israel supporters as believing they are ‘specially chosen by God’ while viewing others as ‘sub-human.’ Such language echoes long-standing antisemitic stereotypes portraying Jews as inherently supremacist or morally corrupt. Carlson presented these claims as proof of Israel’s alleged ability to manipulate American public opinion. In doing so, he framed Jewish identity and support for Israel as tools of coercive power rather than political belief.”
Earlier this month, Carlson appeared at the Doha Forum in Qatar and announced his plans to purchase a home in the Arab monarchy which has long sponsored the Muslim Brotherhood and its Palestinian terrorist wing Hamas. His brother Buckley Carlson also suggested that the recent Islamist terrorist attack in Bondi, Australia which left 15 Jewish people murdered, was a false flag incident.
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Florida Gubernatorial Candidate Vows to Divest From Israel Bonds if Elected
Florida gubernatorial candidate James Fishback. Photo: Screenshot
James Fishback, a Florida gubernatorial candidate in the 2026 Republican primary, has pledged to direct all state government entities to “divest” from bonds issued by the Israeli government on his first day in office, a move that could pose a range of economic hurdles in Florida and has previously been lambasted by critics for singling out the Jewish state for political punishment.
In a campaign statement over the weekend, Fishback, chief executive of the investment firm Azoria, said that Florida state agencies and taxpayer-funded colleges have invested approximately $385 million in Israel Bonds over the past two years. He argued that public funds should never be invested abroad and vowed to redirect the money toward a statewide housing assistance initiative if elected.
“That money should have been invested in our communities. Instead, it was foolishly sent abroad to a foreign government,” the statement read.
Despite Fishback’s suggestion that Floridian money was “sent abroad,” however, Israel Bonds are investments, not aid. According to the Israel Bonds website, they are loans that investors make to the State of Israel, which are expected to be paid back in full, with interest.
Israel Bonds have historically yielded a positive return for Florida taxpayers. State and municipal funds across the US have invested in such bonds for years because they are considered low risk, consistent performers, and maintain creditworthiness among democracies with advanced economies. Observers have argued these bonds are valuable because they are predictable interest income and diversify public portfolios.
Fishback’s proposal echoes elements of the global boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to isolate Israel economically and has been condemned by lawmakers in Florida and across the US as discriminatory and counterproductive. Florida currently has anti-BDS laws on the books and has repeatedly affirmed its strong political, economic, and security ties with Israel.
Fishback’s antagonistic stance toward Israel represents a stark contrast to sitting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has repeatedly signaled support for Israel and condemned anti-Israel movements as a symptom of antisemitism. Florida has been among Israel’s strongest allies at the state level, with successive governors expanding trade ties, supporting Israeli innovation, and opposing international efforts to isolate the country. Any attempt to reverse that policy would likely face legal challenges as well as resistance from lawmakers in both parties.
Last month, Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton purchased $5 million in Israel Bonds, bringing its total investment up to $8.2 million and making it the largest university investor in the US.
Under Fishback’s proposal, the divested funds would be used to create a $385 million down-payment assistance program called “Rise and Shine,” offering $10,000 grants to married Florida couples. The candidate also outlined a broader housing agenda, including restrictions on institutional and foreign ownership of single-family homes and calls to eliminate property taxes and reduce insurance premiums.
Fishback, a successful investor, entered the gubernatorial race on a slate of populist agenda items. He has raised eyebrows in recent weeks by flirting with members of the antisemitic Groyper movement and signaling acceptance of its leader, Nick Fuentes.
During a December appearance on Rift TV, a podcast hosted by antisemitic social media pundit Elijah Schaffer, Fishback said that he finds “the audience of young men who follow and watch Nick Fuentes to actually be incredibly informed and insightful.”
Observers have noted that Fishback’s attempts to entice younger, more online portions of right-wing audiences are a microcosm of the growing rupture between Gen Z and older conservatives on the topic of Israel. Recent polls have indicated a collapse of support for Israel among young Republicans, with this portion of the party expressing more skepticism of providing military aid to the Jewish state. Large swaths of GOP voters under 30 have more broadly voiced vocal criticism of US support for Israel and the supposed influence of the America Israel Public Affairs Committee, a prominent pro-Israel lobbying group, in US politics.
Recent surveys have also shown a substantial rise of antisemitic views among younger cohorts of the Republican Party.
Fishback’s candidacy remains a longshot, however. A recent poll from The American Promise showed US Rep. Byron Donalds leading the field with 38 percent support among likely Republican voters. Lt. Gov. Jay Collins trailed far behind at 9 percent, while Fishback registered just 2 percent and former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner garnered 1 percent. Nearly half of respondents, 49 percent, said they remained undecided.
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Mikveh unearthed beneath Western Wall plaza shows evidence of Temple’s destruction
Archaeologists have uncovered a 2,000‑year‑old Jewish ritual bath beneath the Western Wall Plaza in Jerusalem that bears ash and destruction debris from the Roman conquest of the city in 70 C.E., officials said.
The find, announced Monday by the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, lies just west of where pilgrims once entered the Temple Mount, offering a rare physical link to everyday life in late Second Temple Jerusalem.
The mikveh, hewn into the bedrock, measures approximately 10 feet long; 4 feet, 5 inches wide; and 6 feet, 1 inch high, with four steps leading into the bath. It was found sealed beneath a destruction layer dated to the year 70 C.E., filled with ash, pottery shards and stone vessels.
“Jerusalem should be remembered as a Temple city,” Ari Levy, the excavation director for the Israel Antiquities Authority, said in the announcement. “As such, many aspects of daily life were adapted to this reality, and this is reflected especially in the meticulous observance of the laws of ritual impurity and purity by the city’s residents and leaders.” Levy noted that stone vessels, which do not contract ritual impurity under Jewish law, were common in the area.
Heritage Minister Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu said the discovery “strengthens our understanding of how deeply intertwined religious life and daily life were in Jerusalem during the Temple period” and underlined the importance of continuing archaeological research in the city.
Mordechai (Suli) Eliav, director of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, described the mikveh and its contents as a vivid historical testament: “The exposure of a Second Temple period ritual bath beneath the Western Wall Plaza, with ashes from the destruction at its base, testifies like a thousand witnesses to the ability of the people of Israel to move from impurity to purity, from destruction to renewal.”
Researchers say the mikveh likely served both local residents and the many pilgrims who visited the Temple in the years leading up to the Roman siege.
This article originally appeared on JTA.org.
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