NYC Mayoral Frontrunner Mamdani Flip Flops On Key Position

New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani (D), a self-described Democratic Socialist, is now scrambling to soften his stance on the extremist phrase “globalize the intifada” as his campaign comes under growing scrutiny.

In an interview Sunday with MSNBC’s Al Sharpton, Mamdani said he would now “discourage” use of the phrase — a shift from earlier comments that downplayed concerns over its meaning.

The about-face reportedly came after a rabbi confronted him about the slogan, saying it reminded her of bloody bus bombings and restaurant massacres in Israel.

Mamdani acknowledged the “gap in intent” between those who chant the slogan to protest Israel and the way Jewish New Yorkers interpret it as a call for violence.

The American Jewish Committee has defined “globalize the intifada” as a rallying cry for “aggressive resistance against Israel.”

A Convenient Shift?

Mamdani’s remarks represent a departure from his June appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, when he insisted the phrase was “not language that I use” but refused to discourage it, claiming it wasn’t a mayor’s role to “police” speech.

By July, The New York Times reported he privately told a closed-door meeting he would “discourage” the phrase — a position he is now attempting to formalize as election season heats up.

The sudden recalibration comes as Mamdani leads the Democratic pack to replace scandal-plagued Mayor Eric Adams. His ties to far-left movements and socialist allies have raised eyebrows among moderates, particularly as he tries to present himself as capable of representing all 8.5 million New Yorkers.

Embracing Sanders, Attacking Musk

While Mamdani seeks to moderate his rhetoric on Israel, he remains firmly in the Bernie Sanders wing of the Democratic Party.

On Saturday, he hosted a Brooklyn town hall with the Vermont senator, who railed against billionaire Elon Musk.

Sanders told the crowd he would “not allow” Musk to become the world’s first trillionaire, denouncing what he called an “insane” economy where “one guy — one guy — Mr. Musk — whose own wealth is more than the bottom 52% of American households” could amass such fortune.

“It’s important that we feel the outrage of children going hungry, people being homeless, 85 million without healthcare,” Sanders said. “Making one guy a trillionaire is insane… we are not going to allow that to happen.”

The Bigger Picture

Mamdani’s pivot on “globalize the intifada” highlights the balancing act radical progressives face when running citywide. His socialist base demands ideological purity, but the broader electorate — including nearly 1 million Jewish New Yorkers — is less forgiving of rhetoric tied to terror.

Whether his latest “discouragement” will be seen as genuine or just a tactical retreat remains to be seen.