Copyright The Philadelphia Inquirer
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro shared his concerns with Zohran Mamdani about the New York City mayor-elect’s comments on Israel, the governor revealed following Mamdani’s win in Tuesday’s election. “I’ve expressed that to him personally. We’ve had good private communications,” Shapiro told The Associated Press Wednesday. “And I hope, as he did last night in his victory speech, that he’ll be a mayor that protects all New Yorkers and tries to bring people together.” The conversation took place prior to the election. Mamdani initiated the conversation, which took place prior to the election. It could be a sign Mamdani, a democratic socialist and the first Muslim to be elected mayor of New York, is working to win over prominent Democrats who have previously been hesitant to fully embrace him due to his politics and stance on Israel. Shapiro, who is Jewish and a potential presidential contender in 2028, criticized Mamdani over the summer for not condemning “blatantly antisemitic” rhetoric. The mayor-elect has said Israel’s military invasion of Gaza in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks is “genocide” against Palestinians and has supported the Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions movement against Israel. Mamdani has also been criticized in the past for not condemning the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which is seen by some as a call for violence against Jewish people. However, Mamdani recently said he would discourage use of the phrase. Mamdani has vehemently rejected accusations of antisemitism and said in his victory speech Tuesday that “We will build a City Hall that stands steadfast alongside Jewish New Yorkers and does not waver in the fight against the scourge of antisemitism.” He’s also received backing from several Jewish groups and leaders including the Union for Reform Judaism, a prominent Jewish movement in the United States. Semafor’s David Weigel reported that Shapiro said that the pair had a “very lengthy conversation” and that the governor said he “was very direct with him about how hurtful some of the words were that he used or that he allowed to be used around him.” “He explained to me his perspective, which I thought was helpful for me to hear, and on some things, we agreed to disagree,” Shapiro said. “But I thought it was a healthy dialogue, and I appreciate the fact that he reached out.” Shapiro has long been a supporter of Israel and has proudly talked about his Jewish faith on the campaign trail and as governor. He has also been outspoken about antisemitism, faulting the University of Pennsylvania’s initial response to incidents on campus in 2023. His governor’s mansion was set ablaze while he and his family slept, just hours after the Shapiro family celebrated Passover there. In September, Shapiro recently told The Forward, a Jewish news outlet, that his support for Israel won’t waver despite what may or may not be popular in polling. However, he has been critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rhetoric and has called for the White House to provide aid to Gaza. “I focus on doing what I think is right,” he said. “And what I think is right is to have these hostages return home, have the war end, have the people of Gaza be able to live with food and shelter and health care and dignity, and to hopefully one day be in a position where a two-state solution can be a possibility.”
