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Why Jeremy Corbyn’s support for Zohran Mamdani is fueling antisemitism fears
Jeremy Corbyn, the former British Labour leader ousted from his party over accusations of antisemitism, joined a phone bank for New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Sunday. Corbyn’s participation quickly drew backlash.
Mamdani “will ensure that the world doesn’t pass by on the other side while the terrible genocide goes on in Gaza, which has been so terrible for the Palestinian people,” Corbyn said on the Zoom call, organized by the Democratic Socialists of America’s New York City chapter.
Critics said it confirmed what they see as Mamdani’s alliances with antisemites — at a moment when the Democratic frontrunner is trying to reassure Jewish New Yorkers ahead of Tuesday’s election. Mamdani has at once struggled to earn the trust of many Jewish New Yorkers and built a broad base of Jewish support.
“Having Jeremy Corbyn — someone whose party was found to have committed unlawful acts of discrimination against Jewish people under his leadership — phone-banking for @ZohranKMamdani says everything you need to know,” Andrew Cuomo, who is running in the mayoral election as an Independent, posted to X. “New York doesn’t need politics of moral compromise. We need leadership that rejects antisemitism, extremism, and division in every form and in every corner.”
“You. Can’t. Make. It. Up.,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, who has previously clashed with Mamdani over his views on Israel and whether the ADL represents the views of New York Jews.
What are the antisemitism allegations against Corbyn?
Corbyn, a British politician known for his far-left politics and pro-Palestinian activism, drew scrutiny in 2015 for referring to representatives of Hamas and Hezbollah as his “friends” in the context of peace talks in 2009. He later said he regretted the phrasing.
Further controversy erupted in 2018 after reports surfaced that in 2012, Corbyn had commented approvingly on a Facebook post featuring a mural depicting caricatured Jewish bankers with hooked noses playing Monopoly. He later said he should have “looked more closely at the image” before posting his support.
That same year, Corbyn became a central figure in a debate over whether the Labour Party should adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, which classifies most expressions of anti-Zionism as antisemitic. Corbyn argued the definition could restrict legitimate criticism of Israel.
Corbyn introduced an amendment to clarify that “it cannot be considered racist to treat Israel like any other state or assess its conduct against the standards of international law.” That addition did not pass, and Labour adopted the IHRA definition.
Allegations of antisemitism within Labour escalated in 2019, when the Equality and Human Rights Commission found the party had committed “unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination” against Jews under Corbyn’s leadership and failed to properly investigate complaints. Corbyn rejected the findings as politically motivated.
“One antisemite is one too many,” he said at the time, “but the scale of the problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party, as well as by much of the media.”
The Labour Party suspended Corbyn in 2020 after those remarks. He was reinstated three weeks later after walking back those comments, saying that concerns about antisemitism were “neither ‘exaggerated’ nor ‘overstated.’”
But last year, Corbyn was expelled from the Labour Party on the same basis, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer – whose wife and children are Jewish – telling Sky News he wanted to “tear antisemitism out of our party by the roots.”
On Sunday’s phone banking call, Corbyn said he was “very excited” by Mamdani’s campaign, describing the mayoral candidate as “a voice for justice around the world.”
Corbyn told volunteers he had spoken at 32 national pro-Palestinian demonstrations since October 2023 and would keep protesting “for as long as it takes to bring about justice for the Palestinian people.” That, he added, included ending arms shipments to Israel and halting the Royal Air Force’s cooperation with the Israeli military.
“So there’s so much that we can work together on,” Corbyn said.
Corbyn also said he had sent Mamdani two gifts: a book called Poetry for the Many, a poetry anthology co-authored by Corbyn; and an Arsenal shirt for the fellow soccer fan.
“I look forward to meeting Mayor Zohran, and when he comes over here, we’ll go to an Arsenal game,” Corbyn said, later adding, “I’ll be staying up very, very late on Tuesday night to hear the results.”
Mamdani, the DSA, and antisemitism
Mamdani’s positions on Israel have roiled Jews across the country, and he’s often had to defend himself against allegations of antisemitism for: refusing to outright condemn the slogan “globalize the intifada;” reiterating support for Palestinians in his statement on the Gaza ceasefire; vowing to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York; and saying he doesn’t recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
Mamdani has also been criticized for his affiliation with the DSA, a socialist political organizing group that describes itself as anti-Zionist and endorses the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.Mamdani has said that pro-Palestinian activism and his commitment to BDS was “the crux of the reason” why he joined DSA in 2017.
But as the DSA has taken an increasingly hard line on Israel, it has found itself at odds with even progressive politicians.
Last year, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lost the DSA’s endorsement over her position on Israel. The DSA took issue with Ocasio-Cortez hosting an online panel discussion with two leading Jewish experts on antisemitism, and for voting in favor of a resolution that condemned Hamas and equated the denial of Israel’s right to exist with antisemitism.
In August, the national DSA passed a resolution that said “making statements that ‘Israel has a right to defend itself’” and “endorsing statements equating anti-Zionism with antisemitism,” would be considered an expellable offense.
The DSA’s New York City chapter, of which Mamdani is a member, faced broad condemnation for celebrating the attacks of Oct. 7 at a demonstration in Times Square on Oct. 8. Mamdani has distanced himself from that rhetoric, condemning the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas as a “horrific war crime” and describing the celebration of the killing of civilians by some of the rally’s attendees as “not befitting of a movement supporting universal human rights.”
He has also sought to distance himself from aspects of the DSA’s national agenda, telling the New York Times that the group’s platform was not the same as his.
Jacob Kornbluh contributed reporting and writing.
The post Why Jeremy Corbyn’s support for Zohran Mamdani is fueling antisemitism fears appeared first on The Forward.
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Katz: ‘Israel’s Goal in Lebanon is to Disarm Hezbollah’
Then-Israeli transportation minister Israel Katz attends the cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister’s office in Jerusalem, Feb. 17, 2019. Katz currently serves as the foreign minister. Photo: Sebastian Scheiner/Pool via REUTERS
i24 News – Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz held a situation assessment Friday with senior military and defense officials, reiterating that the country’s policy in Lebanon remains focused on disarming Hezbollah by military and political means. Katz emphasized that the goal applies “regardless of the Iran issue” and pledged continued protection for Israeli northern communities.
Katz said the Israel Defense Forces are completing ground maneuvers up to the anti-tank line to prevent direct threats to border towns. He outlined plans to demolish houses in villages near the border that serve as Hezbollah outposts, citing previous operations in Rafah and Khan Yunis in Gaza as models.
The Defense Minister added that the IDF will maintain security control over the Litani area and that the return of 600,000 residents of southern Lebanon who had evacuated north will not be permitted until northern communities’ safety is ensured. Katz also reaffirmed that the IDF will continue targeting Hezbollah leaders and operatives across Lebanon, noting that 1,000 terrorists have already been eliminated since the start of the current campaign.
“We promised security to the northern towns, and that is exactly what we will do,” Katz said. He further warned that the IDF will act decisively against rocket fire from Lebanon, stating that Hezbollah “will pay heavy prices.”
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Pope Leo Urges Israel’s Herzog to End Iran War in Phone Call, Vatican Says
Pope Leo XIV delivers a homily during the Palm Sunday Mass in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican, March 29, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Remo Casilli
Pope Leo spoke on the phone with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Friday and urged him to “reopen all paths of dialogue” to end the Iran war, the Vatican said.
The pope, who has emerged as a sharp critic of the regional conflict, also urged Herzog to protect civilians and promote respect for international and humanitarian law, the Vatican added.
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Iran Leaders Join Crowds on Tehran’s Streets to Project Control in Wartime
Iranians gather at a park on Nature Day, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, April 2, 2026. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
After more than a month of being stalked by targeted assassinations, Iran’s leadership has adopted a new tactic to show it is still in control – with senior officials walking openly in the streets among small crowds who have gathered in support of the Islamic Republic.
In recent days, Iran’s president and foreign minister have separately mixed with groups of several hundred people in central Tehran. On Tuesday, state television aired footage of the two posing for selfies, talking to members of the public and shaking hands with supporters who had gathered in public areas.
According to insiders and analysts, the appearances are part of a calculated effort by Iran’s theocratic leadership to project resilience and authority — not only over the vital Strait of Hormuz but also over the population — despite a sustained US-Israeli campaign aimed at “obliterating” it.
One insider close to the hardline establishment said such public outings are intended to show that the Islamic Republic is “unshaken by strikes and that it remains in control and vigilant” as the war grinds on.
The US-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28 with the killing of veteran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior military commanders in waves of strikes that have since continued to target top officials.
Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has not been seen in public since taking over on March 8 from his father. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, meanwhile, was removed from Israel’s hit list amid mediation efforts last month, including by Pakistan, to bring Tehran and Washington together for talks to end the war.
Talks aimed at ending the war have since appeared to have petered out, as Tehran brands US peace proposals “unrealistic.” Against that backdrop, recent public appearances by President Masoud Pezeshkian and Araqchi appear designed to project defiance, if not a convincing display of public support.
A senior Iranian source said officials’ public presence demonstrates that “the establishment is not intimidated by Israel’s targeted killing of top Iranian figures.”
Asked whether Iran’s foreign minister or president were on any sort of kill list, an Israeli military spokesperson, Nadav Shoshani, said on Friday he would not “speak about specific personnel.”
NIGHTLY RALLIES TO SHOW RESILIENCE
Despite widespread destruction, Tehran appears emboldened by surviving weeks of intense US-Israeli attacks, firing on Gulf countries hosting US troops and demonstrating its ability to effectively block the Strait of Hormuz.
On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump vowed more aggressive strikes on Iran, without offering a timeline for ending hostilities. Tehran responded by warning the United States and Israel that “more crushing, broader and more destructive” attacks were in store.
Encouraged by clerical rulers, supporters of the Islamic Republic take to the streets each night, filling public squares to show loyalty even as bombs rain down across the country.
Analysts say the establishment is also seeking to raise the “political and reputational” cost of the strikes at a time when civilian casualties are deeply disturbing for Iranians.
Omid Memarian, a senior Iran analyst at DAWN, a Washington-based think tank, said the decision to send officials into gatherings reflects a layered strategy, including an effort to sustain the morale of core supporters at a moment of acute pressure.
“The system relies heavily on this base; if its supporters withdraw from public space, its ability to project control and authority weakens significantly,” Memarian said.
Speaking to state television, some in the crowds voice unwavering loyalty to Iran’s leadership; others oppose the bombing of their country regardless of politics; and some have a stake in the system, including government employees, students and others whose livelihoods are tied to it.
Hadi Ghaemi, head of the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, said the establishment is using such loyal crowds as human shields to raise the cost of any assassination attempts.
“By being in the middle of large crowds they have protections that would make Israeli-American attacks against them very bloody and generate sympathy worldwide,” he said.
POTENTIAL PROTESTERS STAY OFF STREETS AT NIGHT
The Islamic Republic emerged from a 1979 revolution backed by millions of Iranians. But decades of rule marked by corruption, repression and mismanagement have thinned that support, alienating many ordinary people.
While there has been little sign so far of anti-government protests that erupted in January and abated after a deadly crackdown, the establishment has adopted harsh measures – such as arrests, executions and large-scale deployment of security forces – to prevent any sparks of dissent.
Rights groups have warned about “rushed executions” during wartime after Iran hanged at least seven political prisoners during the war.
“Many potential protesters are frightened by the continuing presence of armed men and violent crowds in the streets and largely stay at home once darkness falls,” Ghaemi said.