I read the M. Gessen piece when it came out and thought Gessen was disingenuous and underplayed what Mamdani actually said. I do not think Mamdani is an anti-semite in the classical sense of hating Jews for being Jews. I do think (and think the evidence supports) that Mamdani is an anti-Zionist in that he is against the existence of the State of Israel as a Jewish-majority nation.
See my reply above yours to Rich Whiting re: M Gessen’s reaction to that FYPod interview with Mamdani. Here’s the gift link:
“The Attacks on Zohran Mamdani Show That We Need a New Understanding of Antisemitism”, NYT, June 24, 2025, (gift link): https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/24/opinion/antisemitism-new-york-city-mayor.html?unlocked_article_code=1.RU8.OAxH.8sftyW-TGbjV&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
I read the M. Gessen piece when it came out and thought Gessen was disingenuous and underplayed what Mamdani actually said. I do not think Mamdani is an anti-semite in the classical sense of hating Jews for being Jews. I do think (and think the evidence supports) that Mamdani is an anti-Zionist in that he is against the existence of the State of Israel as a Jewish-majority nation.