New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has again criticized the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), after being challenged over his characterization of the pro-Israel lobbying group as a potentially dangerous “monster.”
Speaking at City Hall on Monday, Mamdani described AIPAC as a group that “supports the status quo” and opposes any efforts to bring safety to Palestinians and other regions, calling it “a status quo of immorality.”
“When I talk about AIPAC, I am talking about an organization that supports the status quo, that fights any effort to bring safety to people, not just in Palestine but in many other regions. That is a status quo of immorality,” Mamdani said.
Mamdani, New York’s first Muslim mayor, stressed that more than 1,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by Israeli forces since a U.S.-brokered cease-fire took effect last October.
Last week, at a rally in Vermont, Mamdani accused AIPAC of “using millions of dollars in dark money” to maintain power, turning people against each other instead of toward the ethical change needed.
New Jersey Representative Josh Gottheimer immediately criticized Mamdani, saying his remarks “normalize anti-Semitism.” “Replace 'AIPAC' with 'Jews' and that is the oldest anti-Semitic conspiracy theory. This is not criticism of a lobbying group. This is normalization of anti-Semitism,” Gottheimer wrote on X.
The debate comes as New York’s Democratic primaries see a rise of new candidates, with views on Israel becoming a flashpoint. AIPAC is reported to have spent more than $600,000 through its super PAC to support incumbent Adriano Espaillat, while his challenger Darializa Avila Chevalier, endorsed by Mamdani, has faced criticism for attending a pro-Palestinian rally after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
