A resurfaced 2023 clip of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani describing Israel as "an idea" is drawing renewed criticism online this week, as his rhetoric toward the Jewish state faces fresh scrutiny amid his latest clash with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"For so many people, Israel is a not a place. It is not the country, it's an idea," Mamdani said in 2023 while on the "Here & Everywhere: The Solidarity Roundtables" podcast.
"And you see that in many politicians' answers to the questions around Israel," he continued at the time, criticizing American politicians for supporting Israel's war against Gaza. "Their answers were written 20, 30 years ago. They speak to a reality that does not exist. They pledge fealty to the idea of a two-state solution, irrespective of the fact that a second state for Palestinians is physically impossible because it's not even a contiguous piece of land in this moment between where Palestinians live."
Critics said the resurfaced comments are the latest in what they describe as a longstanding pattern of Mamdani criticizing Israel and alienating the Jewish community, as his administration explores whether it has the authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he travels to New York for the U.N. General Assembly.
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"He lives in a bubble where everyone thinks like him and speaks like him, then he thinks this bubble is reality and the whole world," said Foundation for the Defense of Democracies research fellow Hussain Abdul-Hussain.
"His knowledge is shallow and mainly talking points, and whatever position he takes does not affect his life in NYC or in his ancestral homeland," Abdul-Hussain added.
"He's deranged on this issue, an extremist at the end of the day," said one user on X.
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"It's weird how they say the same thing about America," wrote conservative commentator Stephen Miller on X.
"Israel is certainly an idea: that after centuries of exile, persecution, and statelessness, the Jewish people should enjoy the same right to self-determination as every other nation," wrote pro-Israel education group Boundless CEO Aviva Klompas.
"AND Israel is very much a place. It's where nearly 10 million people wake up every morning, raise children, build businesses, argue about politics, celebrate holidays, and live their lives," she added.
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Mamdani has repeatedly criticized Israel's conduct in Gaza and accused the country of committing genocide, while voicing support for pro-Palestinian causes. He also skipped New York City's annual Israel Day Parade in May, becoming the first sitting mayor to miss the event since it began in 1964.
Mamdani said Sunday that the New York City Law Department was actively discussing whether the city has the legal authority to arrest Netanyahu if he visits New York, while reiterating his support for the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant.
Netanyahu is expected to visit the city in September for the United Nations General Assembly.
"I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague," said Mamdani in an interview with the New York Times Sunday. "He's a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court."
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu in November 2024 over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the fighting in Gaza.
Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani's office on Monday regarding the resurfaced 2023 comment.
