NYC Mayoral Candidate Mamdani Faces Criticism Over 'Globalize Intifada' Phrase Usage

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has drawn sharp criticism for his refusal to condemn the phrase "globalize the intifada," which many view as a call for violence against Jews. Mamdani compared the phrase to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising during the Holocaust, citing the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's use of the Arabic term for "struggle," but the museum strongly denounced this comparison as offensive and an abuse of history. While Mamdani framed the phrase as representing a desperate call for Palestinian human rights, opponents including former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Jewish advocacy groups warn that such language fuels antisemitism and violence, highlighting recent attacks on Jewish communities. Mamdani also expressed discomfort with banning language, contrasting this with what he described as "Trump style" leadership. The phrase "globalize the intifada" has been linked to international calls for Palestinian uprisings, which critics argue are tied to broader Islamic supremacist goals, beyond the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This controversy has intensified amid rising antisemitism and violent incidents in the U.S., complicating Mamdani's mayoral campaign and sparking widespread debate over the implications of political rhetoric on the Middle East conflict.