If Mamdani’s bigotry and obsessive hate of Israel don’t seem to bother most New Yorkers and even many Jews, then it illustrates how prejudice has become mainstreamed.
What does it look like when you normalize antisemitism rather than making it something that only exists on the margins of society? In the more than two years since the Hamas-led Palestinian attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, American Jews have seen hatred directed against them steadily portrayed as not just a reasonable argument but the work of idealists who oppose a mythical “genocide” perpetrated by “white” oppressors and their supporters.
We are now at the point where the views of those who feel that one Jewish state on the planet is one too many—while encouraging terrorism and even contemplating the genocide of Israelis—are considered acceptable public discourse. And many non-Jews and even a sizable minority of Jews in New York City think anyone aware of this should just stop complaining about it.
Marginalizing Jewish fears