Jewish Federations Leader Warns: “Mamdani Is Inciting, the Community Is on Edge”

Eric Fingerhut, president of the Jewish Federations of North America, sharply criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, arguing that his statements against Israel and Zionism are contributing to an atmosphere that leads to violence against Jews. In an interview with Ynet published Wednesday, he said that “there is no question that his statements and behavior contribute to the rise in violence.”

Fingerhut continued: “His descriptions of Israel, Israel’s prime minister, and Zionism harm the Jewish community, which is Zionist. Ninety percent of American Jews are Zionists and support Israel, and he attacks them and incites people when he accuses Israel of responsibility for terrible things. It incites people and causes them to attack Jews in response. And that is what is happening in New York. People are walking down the street and being attacked. He is responsible for that through his incitement.”

According to the federation’s president, this is happening at a time when the sense of threat among American Jews has already worsened significantly: “This is a very serious time here. There is no other way to avoid that point. It is being fueled by politicians who exploit these issues, antisemitism, anti-Israel sentiment, and anti-Zionism, in political campaigns. The Jewish community is on edge. It has a daily impact on our lives.”

Alongside political factors within the United States, Fingerhut also points to international factors that he says are contributing to the escalating threat: “Especially in the past year, in the last 12 to 18 months, there has been a very high level of threat of violence against Jews. It also comes from the global situation in Iran, Ukraine, and so on. Iran explicitly supports this. I believe China supports it on social media. But Iran is the central factor.”

Still, he emphasized: “It is being fueled by local politics in America. There is no doubt about that. And when there are such statements by mainstream leaders, they incite people who have a tendency toward violence to act violently.”

This reality, he said, has forced Jewish communities to further expand their protective systems: “There is a very tense security environment. The result is that in recent months, we have had to build another level of protection, monitoring, and security for Jewish communities and for every Jewish institution. It is a top priority for us.” He explained: “It requires a great deal of resources, but it is necessary, because for American Jews to continue participating in Jewish life, people need to know that they are safe.”

Despite the heightened sense of threat, Fingerhut says that Jews in the United States are not staying away from synagogues and community institutions. When asked whether antisemitism had caused a decline in participation in Jewish activities, he replied: “Baruch Hashem, exactly the opposite. People continue to come to synagogues and community institutions. It is not causing a decline in the numbers. On the contrary.”

In his words, “For this to continue and for people to remain involved, they need to feel safe. So far, we have succeeded in doing that, and we are improving the security situation.”

Fingerhut also addressed the Trump administration, which he praised for its support of the Jewish community. However, he said further steps are needed: “There are many examples of President Trump’s support for the Jewish community. We are very grateful for that. But more needs to be done.”

Among the measures he seeks to advance are increasing resources allocated to police and supporting legislation to protect Jewish communities: “We need their support for the Jewish Protection Act. We need to increase grants to police forces so they can allocate personnel to protect Jews.”

On the other hand, he praised cooperation with federal law enforcement authorities: “The cooperation with the FBI and the Department of Justice has been excellent in terms of protecting Jewish communities, and we are grateful for that. The Department of Justice has been very strong in legislation against antisemitism.”

According to Fingerhut, antisemitism is no longer limited to streets or university campuses: “Antisemitism is also reaching high schools and elementary schools, affecting our children on social media and in classrooms as well.” He said it is also penetrating the health care system, where “doctors, nurses, and staff members are being attacked professionally, even if not physically, by this antisemitism.” Fingerhut concluded: “This is a very serious moment in America. The Jewish community, the federations, and all the organizations are working hard to respond.”