NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Doubles Down on His ‘Monsters’ Label for AIPAC, Sparking a Fierce Backlash From Fellow Democrats
Standing firm.
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani isn’t backing down after calling AIPAC “monsters,” and the fallout is getting louder by the day. The city’s first Muslim mayor stood firm at City Hall this week, doubling down on his criticism of the pro-Israel lobbying group and framing its influence as a barrier to moral progress in Palestine and beyond.
His comments have ignited a firestorm among fellow Democrats. Some accuse him of crossing a line into antisemitism while others rally behind his push to reshape the party’s direction. According to Al Jazeera, Mamdani addressed AIPAC’s role in maintaining what he called a “status quo for immorality.”
He pointed to the more than 1,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza since last October’s U.S.-brokered ceasefire, arguing that the group’s financial clout in elections is part of a broader effort to stifle change. “When it comes to the way in which they defend the status quo, oftentimes they defend it through direct contributions,” he said, referencing AIPAC’s spending in New York’s 13th District primary.
Mamdani’s remarks sparked the controversy
At a Vermont rally, he accused AIPAC of using “millions in dark money” to pit communities against each other rather than addressing what he called the “moral change we all know to be necessary.” The language struck a nerve, particularly with New Jersey Representative Josh Gottheime.
“Swap ‘AIPAC’ for ‘Jews’ and it’s the oldest antisemitic conspiracy theory in the books,” Gottheimer said. “That’s not criticizing a lobby. That’s laundering antisemitism from your podium as Mayor of a city with more than a million Jews. This bulls— is dangerous.”
The clash comes as New York’s primary elections are putting the Democratic Party’s divisions on full display. AIPAC’s super PAC, United Democracy Project, poured over $600,000 into ads supporting incumbent Adriano Espaillat in the 13th District, where Mamdani-backed challenger Darializa Avila Chevalier ultimately pulled off a stunning upset.
Chevalier, a doctoral student and pro-Palestine activist, unseated Espaillat, who had held the seat since 2017 and chaired the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Mamdani celebrated her victory as a win for “clarity, conscience, and conviction,” framing it as part of a larger movement to shift the party leftward.
That shift was on full display across New York this week
Mamdani-backed candidates swept three key primaries. In the 10th District, progressive challenger Brad Lander trounced two-term incumbent Dan Goldman, who had been a darling of pro-Israel groups. Lander, who has accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, won by a landslide, securing 65.7% of the vote.
His victory speech on X struck a defiant tone, declaring that voters wanted “leadership ready to fight, not fold, against authoritarianism.” The race was seen as a litmus test for Mamdani’s influence, and the results suggest his brand of democratic socialism is gaining traction in the city.
Goldman, an heir to the Levi Strauss fortune, had won praise for leading the first impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump in 2019, per the BBC. But his staunch defense of Israel became a liability in a district with a vocal progressive base. The backlash was so intense that a Brooklyn coffee shop briefly banned him from entering. Both Goldman and Lander are Jewish.
The 13th District wasn’t the only race where AIPAC’s influence was tested
In the 7th District, Assemblywoman Claire Valdez, another Mamdani-endorsed candidate, defeated Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. Like Chevalier and Lander, Valdez has aligned herself with the party’s left flank, advocating for policies like abolishing ICE and taxing the wealthy. Their victories signal a growing appetite among Democratic voters for candidates who prioritize economic justice and take a harder line on Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
Not every high-profile race went the way of the progressives, though. In New York’s 12th District, Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, fell short in his bid to succeed longtime congressman Jerry Nadler. Schlossberg, a political newcomer known for his quirky social media presence, lost to Micah Lasher, a former aide to Nadler.
The race also featured George Conway, the conservative lawyer behind the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, who managed just 6% of the vote. Mamdani stayed out of that contest, but his fingerprints were all over the other wins.
The mayor has been unapologetic about his role in shaping the party’s future
“It’s not just a question of electing more Democrats,” he had said. “It’s a question of electing better Democrats.” He pointed to his endorsed candidates as proof that voters want a politics centered on working people, not corporate interests or lobbying groups like AIPAC. But establishment Democrats in Washington aren’t convinced.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries dismissed the primary results as a blip, saying, “A handful of primaries that go in one direction or the other, in a given state or two, aren’t going to reshape who we are as House Democrats.” That might be true, but the message from New York’s voters is hard to ignore.
All three of Mamdani’s backed candidates have taken strong stances against Israel’s actions in Gaza, with Chevalier even facing criticism for attending a pro-Palestine rally the day after the October 7 attack. She later clarified that she attended in anticipation of Israel’s military response against Palestinian civilians, a position that resonated with her district’s progressive base.
The fallout is likely to reverberate through November’s midterms
If Mamdani’s candidates can replicate their primary success in the general election, it could embolden the party’s left wing to push even harder on issues like Palestinian rights and economic inequality. But it could also deepen the rift with moderates who worry that progressive stances on Israel and policing will alienate swing voters.
For now, Mamdani seems content to let the results speak for themselves. His “monsters” comment may have been the spark, but the fire it lit is showing no signs of burning out.
(Featured image: NYC Mayor’s Office)
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