Zohran Mamdani says mayors shouldn't 'police speech' when asked to condemn 'globalize the intifada' slogan

[karynnj]

32. He said he didn't use and did not condone it,

he also said mayors don't police speech.

Consider any other response. You would not be happy unless he interpreted it as YOU do meaning attacks on Israeli Jews by Palestinians. Others have spoken of it literally meaning uprising.

I would never use the word to me and uprising against totalitarian forces because for so many people (including myself) the word means the violence in Israel. It makes no sense to use a word that already has meanings you do not want.

I suspect part of the reason for his response is that AMYTHING involving Israel/Palestine has huge emotional baggage. I don't know how many times I have gone to "how do we speak about Israel" conversations at my synagogue and that is among Jews. It would take a long, philosophical response to explain how people using it mean it and why he doesn't. Anything said would be picked apart even more than refusing to be the speech police.

My guess is that there are many AIPAC aligned Jews (and Christians) who will never support him and that is their right. I also think that many want to make this the big issue so any people who can be defined as progressive except for Palestine will not vote for him even if they would if not for the Israel issue.

If I were a NYC resident, I would have .voted for Lander. I wonder what would have happened if people like Clyburn, Clinton etc AND Bernie and AOC had endorsed Lander, and experienced public servant without the Cuomo baggage.