Zohran Mamdani Under Fire Over Transition Team Anti Semitism

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani responded this week to a devastating report on allegations of widespread anti-Semitism among the 400 members of his newly appointed transition committees. The Anti-Defamation League published a report on Monday digging into the past social media history of some of Mamdani’s appointees and found that at least 20% showed anti-Zionist sentiments and some who dabbled in... The ADL found a member of Mamdani’s transition team repeatedly praised anti-Semitic Nation of Islam head Louis Farrakhan. Others wrote things like “resistance” is justified in the immediate aftermath of Hamas’s horrific Oct. 7 attack on civilian communities in southern Israel. The ADL report came just days after Mamdani’s Director of Appointments Catherine Almonte Da Costa resigned over past antisemitic tweets.

Mamdani was asked about the report during a Monday press conference, “We all saw that Da Costa stepped down, and if you might be aware, the ADL just released a report on the more... Among that report, they identified Ms. Ansari, who posted a cartoon depicting Israel as a dog. There was another person on the Committee on Worker Justice, Kazi Fouzia, who said resistance is justified hours after October 7. Someone else saying Zionism is racism from the Committee on Legal Affairs, someone from the Committee on Worker Justice who shared a post that said Zionists are worse than the Inquisition and the Nazis. Will the policy of your administration be to reject candidates who are actually hired to your administration when they express anti-Semitic positions or have anti-Semitic statements in the past?

Are you going to automatically reject them from your administration? Were any of these statements or these people that I identified, or that were identified in the report, were these already flagged or identified by your transition team?” From TV green rooms to the corridors of the senate to the latest White House press briefing, Mediaite is a trusted source on the intersection of politics and media across the political spectrum. Breaking news, analysis and opinions aplenty, we deliver it all with lightning quick speed. Mediaite is part of the Abrams Media Network. New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani responded this week to a devastating report on allegations of widespread anti-Semitism among the 400 members of his newly appointed transition committees.

The Anti-Defamation League published a report on Monday digging into the past social media history of some of Mamdani’s appointees and found that at least 20% showed anti-Zionist sentiments and some who dabbled in... The ADL found a member of Mamdani’s transition team repeatedly praised anti-Semitic Nation of Islam head Louis Farrakhan. Others wrote things like “resistance” is justified in the immediate aftermath of Hamas’s horrific Oct. 7 attack on civilian communities in southern Israel. The ADL report came just days after Mamdani’s Director of Appointments Catherine Almonte Da Costa resigned over past antisemitic tweets. Among the appointees, Kazi Fouzia called Oct.

7 justified and Mohammed Karim Chowdhury said Zionists are worse than Nazis New York City Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani celebrates during an election night event at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, New York on November 4, 2025. A new report by the Anti-Defamation League highlights several members of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition team who have used antisemitic tropes and justified Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attacks, among other issues the group flags as “deeply troubling” and that raise further questions about his vetting process. The document, published on Monday, comes days after the ADL uncovered antisemitic comments by a top transition appointee, Catherine Almonte Da Costa, who had denigrated Jews in a series of past social media posts. Da Costa resigned shortly after the posts were publicized amid backlash from critics.

Mamdani said last week that he was unaware of those comments and would hire an outside legal team to assist with the vetting process as he staffs his administration — noting “clear changes that... Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition team is riddled with antisemitic, anti-Zionist or anti-Israel activity from members, including one who said “resistance is justified” following the Hamas terror attack on Israel in 2023, the Anti-Defamation League... Representatives from the ADL, which has been monitoring Mamdani’s 400-member transition team since his victory on Nov. 4, said they found “many examples” of individuals who have engaged in this kind of offensive rhetoric or action outlined in the Dec. 22 report. The ADL shared with amNewYork a social media post by Kazi Fouzia, who is on the mayor-elect’s worker justice committee, that reads “Resistance are [sic] justified when people are occupied,” less than a day...

7, 2023, Hamas terror attack on Israel. According to the report, which is the second ADL update on Mamdani’s progression into mayoral office, the post includes video footage from an anti-Israel protest happening in Manhattan a day after the attack. But Fouzia is not the only team member who raised a red flag for the ADL. Per the report, at least 12 transition appointees expressed support for anti-Israel campus protests that rocked the city in 2024. New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani holds a press conference at the Unisphere in the Queens borough of New York … This piece first ran as part of the New York Jewish Week’s daily newsletter, rounding up the latest on politics, culture, food and what’s new with Jews in the city.

Sign up here to get it in your inbox. This piece first ran as part of the New York Jewish Week’s daily newsletter, rounding up the latest on politics, culture, food and what’s new with Jews in the city. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. ADL says Mamdani’s transition team has antisemitic ties The Anti-Defamation League accused Mamdani of packing his transition team with people linked to “antisemitic, anti-Zionist, or anti-Israel activities” in a report on Monday, sparking backla… Zohran Mamdani dismissed a new report that flagged antisemitic rhetoric, pro-Hamas statements and extremist ties among members of his transition team New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani responded this week to a devastating report on allegations of widespread anti-Semitism among the 400 members of his newly appointed transition committees.

The Anti-Defamation League published a report on Monday digging into the past social media history of some of Mamdani’s appointees and found that at least 20% showed anti-Zionist sentiments and some who dabbled in... The ADL found a… Fox News contributor Paul Mauro joined Fox & Friends First to discuss Zohran Mamdanis stance on keeping NYPD police commissioner Jessica Tisch, his decision to tap an anti-police transition member and more. New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is facing heat from two New York lawmakers who spoke to Fox News Digital after a report showing a member of his transition team espoused vitriolic anti-Israel sentiments... Hassaan Chaudhary, according to a New York Post report on Sunday, has a social media presence littered with anti-Israel posts, including calling the country "barbaric," using the term "Jew" as a slur, and praising... Chaudhary, who listed himself as a political director for Mamdani’s transition team, apologized for the remarks, saying the decade-old posts don’t represent his current views and that he looks back on them with "regret."

However, two lawmakers who spoke to Fox News Digital blasted Mamdani’s association with Chaudhary and warned that it shows the socialist mayor-elect is not being serious when he pledges to combat antisemitism in New... A lawyer serving on Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition team has a track record of praising and associating with Louis Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam leader infamous for his bigoted rhetoric about Jews and others,... The details about Jacques Léandre, a local election lawyer who serves on the Mamdani transition’s Committee on Legal Affairs, were contained in a report set to be released Monday by the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL, which focuses on fighting antisemitism, has been screening Mamdani transition advisers for comments seen as hateful against Jewish people. Last week, the ADL disclosed it had discovered Mamdani’s incoming City Hall appointments director, Cat Almonte Da Costa, made offensive social media posts about Jews when she was a teenager, prompting her to apologize... The revelations touch on a sensitive issue for Mamdani.

The mayor-elect’s stances on Israel, such as his support for divesting from the country in response to its treatment of Palestinians, have sparked criticism that his positions promote antisemitism, a charge he vehemently denies. The latest ADL report, a copy of which was shared with the Daily News ahead of its publication, alleges roughly 20% of Mamdani’s 400 transition team members have a record of what the ADL... A terrorist killed two and injured two others in a stabbing and car-ramming attack in northern Israel on Friday. The post Terror attack in Israel ‘direct result’ of Palestinian Authority’s ‘relentless incitement,’ Akunis says appeared first on JNS.org. The Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank raised $2 million, half of that coming from individuals, for its Next Chapter Capital Campaign, the first ever from the organization, which will go toward the purchase and renovation... Nathan J.

Arnold, 87, born Dec. 24, 1937, passed away Dec. 23, 2025. This piece first ran as part of the New York Jewish Week’s daily newsletter, rounding up the latest on politics, culture, food and what’s new with Jews in the city. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has raised serious concerns about the composition of New York City Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani’s transition team, stating that more than 20 per cent of appointees have a documented history of...

The organisation warned that shortcomings in vetting could affect the safety and security of the city’s Jewish community, reports Israel National News. In a detailed report, the ADL said it reviewed transition committee appointments, public statements, and early policy signals from the incoming administration. It concluded that a significant number of individuals appointed to advisory roles have previously engaged in antisemitic rhetoric, anti-Zionist activism, or activities linked to extremist groups. According to the ADL, these findings raise concerns about whether appropriate standards were applied during the vetting process. One of the most prominent cases cited in the report involved Catherine Almonte Da Costa, who was appointed Director of Appointments on December 17. The ADL identified antisemitic social media posts she made between 2011 and 2012, including references to “money-hungry Jews” and other classic antisemitic stereotypes.

The organisation described the posts as “indefensible.” Da Costa resigned the following day, less than 24 hours after the findings became public. Mamdani later acknowledged the issue and said his team was revising its vetting procedures, stressing that the incoming administration would operate under a “standard of excellence” and accountability. The ADL also reviewed the broader transition structure announced on November 24, when Mamdani named more than 400 people to serve on 17 transition committees responsible for staffing and policy development. The report states that at least one in five of those appointees have a history of antisemitic, anti-Zionist, or anti-Israel rhetoric, or have links to organisations promoting such views. According to the ADL, the documented behaviour includes spreading classic antisemitic tropes, delegitimising Jewish self-determination, undermining the legitimacy of the State of Israel, expressing support for Hamas and its October 7 terror attack, and... The organisation emphasised that it distinguishes between legitimate criticism of Israeli government policies and antisemitism.

One day after being hired by Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, Catherine Almonte Da Costa submitted her resignation after antisemitic statements in old Twitter posts dating back to 2011 surfaced Thursday. Mamdani transition sources tell NBC New York that he and his transition were unaware of the posts when they appointed Da Costa Wednesday. When Mamdani put Da Costa in charge of hiring for the city, she pledged to recruit diverse talent. "They have to reflect the rich diversity of race faith ethnicity that defines this City," she said at the time. But today, 33-year-old Da Costa was apologizing for antisemitic posts dating back to when she was 18 years old. The posts were first found by the Anti-Defamation League, and then more problematic posts were uncovered by Timmy Facciola in a story on Substack.

Soon after, Da Costa took down her Twitter account.

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