Rabbis demand apology from Mamdani for calling AIPAC “monsters”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani faces criticism from more than 700 rabbis who signed an open letter on Friday, calling for him to apologize for describing the pro-‘Israel’ lobbying group AIPAC as “monsters.”

The letter, organized by the Jewish Majority advocacy group, argues that Mamdani’s rhetoric at a June 18 rally “dehumanizes” pro-‘Israel’ advocates and “endangers” Jewish communities.

“Using the language of ‘monsters’ against political opponents is an act of dehumanization, and when the targets of that dehumanization are overwhelmingly associated with the Jewish community the consequences become especially dangerous,” said a statement by the group “The Jewish Majority”.

“When public figures treat ‘Zionists’ as a uniquely suspect category of people, they are speaking about the overwhelming majority of the Jewish community. Demonizing Zionists is not perceived by most Jews as criticism of a foreign government; it is experienced as an attack on a core component of Jewish identity and peoplehood,” it added .

In his speech ahead of Democratic primaries, Mamdani accused AIPAC of deploying “millions in dark money” to preserve power, turn Americans against one another, and support policies he links to ongoing suffering in Gaza.

He has defended these comments, framing AIPAC as a defender of an “immoral status quo” that contributes to Palestinian casualties and regional instability.

Mamdani is a longstanding advocate for Palestinian rights and a vocal critic of ‘Israeli’ policies in Gaza.

He described ‘Israel’s’ military actions as genocidal and supported efforts to shift US policy away from unconditional backing of ‘Israel’.