The fight against antisemitism is too often a case of one step forward, four steps back. Some colleges around the country have attempted to clean up their act in terms of enabling anti-Israel protesters who harass Jews, and acts of antisemitic violence are being called out, as are those who dismiss them.

And then there’s Zohran Mamdani. The New York rep beat former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary. That victory is tarnished, however, by Mamdani’s repeated refusal to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada.”

Mamdani was a guest on the Bulwark podcast earlier this month, and described the phrase as one which reflects “desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights.”

The dog whistle is loud and clear, but Mamdani either can’t or won’t hear it. That phrase, chanted and painted on posters, is long associated with violence against Israel. The person who threw Molotov cocktails at demonstrators attending a march for Israeli hostages in Colorado last month: that’s what globalizing the intifada looks like. The shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers outside the Capitol Jewish Museum in Washington the month before: that’s what globalizing the intifada looks like. There are more incidents, too many more.

But Mamdani won’t budge, saying mayors shouldn’t “police speech,” and wants more funding for anti-hate crime measures. Would hate speech be included?

Here’s why this matters: Mamdani isn’t running for a council seat in a remote county, he’s in the race to lead the biggest city in America. And what he does, and says or doesn’t say, on the campaign trail sends a message. Those who bully Jewish students and communities get a boost when such a voice is amplified in such an arena.

He has detractors for other reasons, of course. His proposal to ramp up taxes in “richer and whiter neighborhoods” isn’t winning a lot of friends outside the “there shouldn’t be any billionaires, end capitalism” crowd.

Though he is the victor in the primary, he beat Andrew Cuomo, the former governor whose 2020 directive barred nursing homes from refusing to accept patients just because they’d had COVID-19. According to reports, more than 9,000 recovering coronavirus patients were released from hospitals into nursing homes under the directive, which was rescinded amid speculation that it had accelerated outbreaks.

He resigned as governor the following year, during an investigation into sexual harassment allegations. Cuomo was hardly an unimpeachable opponent.

On the local mayoral campaign front, it may not have been a great idea for Mayor Michelle Wu to share that she is “quietly supportive” of Mamdani, who said he considers her a role model who has inspired him.

“I just congratulated him and thanked him for running such an inspiring campaign focused on real people and real changes that are needed to improve the daily lives of his constituents,” she told the Boston Globe.

“Real changes” to improve the lives of constituents? Would that be all, or just some? And would those “real changes” include substantive action to fight rising antisemitism, such as calling out speech inciting violence against Jews?

Sorry, Mayor, there’s nothing inspiring about Mamdani.

Editorial cartoon by Chip Bok (Creators Syndicate)