BS BULLETIN:
- A prominent New York rabbi’s daughter says Jewish voters who backed Mayor Zohran Mamdani may now have “buyer’s remorse.”
- Jewish leaders are pressing Mamdani to tone down his rhetoric as antisemitic hate crimes rise in New York City.
- Mamdani says there is “no room for antisemitism” in the city.
The political bill may be coming due for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Karen Schneier Dresbach, daughter of prominent Rabbi Arthur Schneier, is accusing Mamdani of helping create an increasingly hostile climate for Jewish New Yorkers with his rhetoric toward Israel — and says some Jewish voters who helped put him in City Hall may already be reconsidering that decision. “I’m sure many have buyer’s remorse,” Dresbach told the New York Post.
Dresbach, executive vice president of the interfaith Appeal of Conscience Foundation, pointed to Mamdani’s support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel and his repeated confrontations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as part of a political atmosphere she believes has become poisonous.
The criticism comes as Jewish New Yorkers are dealing with something considerably more serious than political hurt feelings. According to WABC-TV, 56% of New York City hate crimes reported during the first seven months of 2026 were antisemitic. Overall hate-crime incidents were up 9.4%, while antisemitic incidents increased 8.5%.
After a recent attack during Shabbat services at Manhattan’s Central Synagogue, Jewish and interfaith leaders gathered outside the house of worship and urged Mamdani to do more. Rabbi Avi Weiss aimed his remarks directly at the mayor: “Mr. Mamdani, J’accuse!”
Rabbi Binyamin Krauss was equally pointed, urging Mamdani to “speak the right words” rather than use language that could encourage hostility toward Jews.
Mamdani, for his part, condemned the synagogue attack and declared, “There is no room for antisemitism of this kind” in New York, pledging to root it out across all five boroughs.
Even Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, who cautioned against blaming Mamdani for every antisemitic act in New York, acknowledged there are actions by the mayor that have “reinforce[d] concerns about Jewish safety.”
And that’s the problem Mamdani can’t dismiss with another carefully worded City Hall statement. A mayor can condemn antisemitism on Saturday while still facing questions about the rhetoric he uses Monday through Friday.
MY QUICK TAKE
Ah, buyer’s remorse — that wonderful moment when the political product finally arrives and you discover the “Democratic Socialist Mayor” you ordered online looks exactly like the picture on the box.
Mamdani never exactly hid the merchandise.
New Yorkers got the BDS supporter, the Netanyahu crusader and the activist mayor they voted for. Now some folks appear shocked to discover that elections have consequences.
Amazon gives you 30 days for returns. City Hall gives you four years.
DBS WIRE SOURCES:
- New York Post — Prominent NYC rabbi’s daughter accuses Mamdani of fueling antisemitism: ‘I’m sure many have buyer’s remorse’
- ABC7 New York — Jewish and interfaith leaders rally against antisemitism outside Central Synagogue
- The Forward — Central Synagogue attack had no clear connection to Mamdani
