Colbert grills Dem socialist NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Israel, antisemitism

"Late Show" big Stephen Colbert pressed New York City mayoral campaigner Zohran Mamdani astir his stance connected Israel and however he'd combat rising antisemitism successful the Big Apple. 

Mamdani, the Democratic Socialist subordinate of the authorities assembly who has seen a surge successful the polls up of Tuesday's rank-choice primary, appeared connected the CBS precocious nighttime amusement alongside his chap Democratic rival Brad Lander, who've some made headlines for giving each different their endorsements for 2nd ranking successful an effort to artifact ex-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo from clinching the Democratic nomination.  

Colbert pointed to the ongoing warfare betwixt Israel and Iran to inquire some candidates whether Israel has "the close to exist" arsenic a nation. 

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New York City mayoral candidates Brad Lander and Zohran Mamdani appeared connected "The Late Show" connected the eve of the Democratic rank-choice primary. (Screenshot/CBS)

"I enactment the imaginativeness of Israel arsenic a Jewish and Democratic State," Lander responded. 

"Mr. Mamdani, aforesaid question," Colbert turned to the 33-year-old hopeful. "Does the State of Israel person the close to exist?"

"Yes," Mamdani responded. "Like each nations, I judge it has the close to beryllium and a work besides to uphold planetary law."

The wide late-night host, who repeatedly stressed helium wasn't offering immoderate endorsement successful the mayoral race, past pivoted to admit the "elephant successful the room," noting the "fear" wrong the Jewish assemblage astir the emergence successful antisemitism and what would hap if New York City elected Mamdani, a far-left Muslim and an outspoken professional of Israel. 

"They're precise upset by immoderate of the things that you've said successful the past, and they're acrophobic that your mayorship would really pb to accrued antisemitism, that they judge that would beryllium much unsafe for them," Colbert said to Mamdani. "What bash you accidental to those New Yorkers who are acrophobic that you wouldn't beryllium their mayor, that you wouldn't support them?"

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"You know, I cognize wherever that fearfulness is coming from," Mamdani responded. "It's a fearfulness that is based upon the horrific attacks we've seen successful Washington, DC, successful Boulder, Colorado… and it's a fearfulness that I perceive besides from New Yorkers themselves." 

"You know, conscionable a fewer days aft the horrific warfare transgression of October 7, a person of excavation told maine astir however helium went to his synagogue for Shabbat services and helium heard the doorway unfastened down him, and a tremor went up his spine arsenic helium turned astir not knowing who was determination and what they meant for him," helium continued. "I spoke to a Jewish antheral successful Williamsburg conscionable months agone who told maine that the doorway helium near unlocked for decades is present 1 that helium locks. And ultimately, this is due to the fact that we're seeing a situation of antisemitism."

New York City mayoral campaigner Zohran Mamdani was pressed by "Late Show" big Stephen Colbert to code concerns among the Jewish community, who fearfulness that antisemitism volition worsen if he's elected to office. (Screenshots/CBS)

Mamdani past touted his connection committing an "800%" summation successful backing for the Department of Community Safety's anti-hate transgression programming. 

"Because to your point, antisemitism is not simply thing that we should speech about. It's thing that we person to tackle," Mamdani told Colbert. "We person to marque wide there's nary country for it successful this city, successful this country, successful this satellite and-"

"And nary justification for unit of immoderate kind?" Colbert interjected.

"No," Mamdani rapidly responded. "There's nary country for unit successful this city, successful this country, successful this world. And what I person recovered also, for galore New Yorkers, is an quality to navigate disagreement."

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Mamdani, who migrated to New York City erstwhile helium was 7 aft surviving successful Uganda and South Africa, recalled an speech helium had with an "older Jewish woman" pursuing the Democratic Club forum who whispered to him, "I disagree with you connected 1 issue. I'm beauteous definite you cognize which 1 it is, and I hold with you connected the others, and I'm going to beryllium ranking you connected my ballot." 

"And I accidental this due to the fact that I cognize determination are galore New Yorkers with whom I person a disagreement astir the Israeli government's policies, and besides determination are galore who recognize that that's a disagreement inactive rooted successful shared humanity, due to the fact that the conclusions I've travel to, they are the conclusions of Israeli historians similar Amos Goldberg. They are echoing the words of an Israeli premier minister, Ehud Olmert, who said conscionable precocious what we are doing successful Gaza is simply a warfare of devastation. It is cruel, it is indiscriminate, it is limitless, it is transgression sidesplitting of civilians. These are the conclusions I've travel to," Mamdani said. 

Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Socialist moving successful the New York City mayoral Democratic primary, has seen a surge successful the polls against his apical rival, ex-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.  (REUTERS/Bing Guan)

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Colbert aboriginal asked Mamdani however helium could "build a span of understanding" betwixt the Jewish and Muslim communities arsenic New York City mayor. He responded "by foregrounding that humanity."

"For truthful galore of america who've grown up successful this city, quality is thing that we celebrate. It's thing that we cognize is really a portion of the cloth of this spot that we telephone home," Mamdani said. "And you know, galore years ago, I was the run manager of a Jewish campaigner for State Senate, and I took him to a mosque successful Bay Ridge, and aft helium gave his code astatine Friday prayers, an older Palestinian antheral came implicit to him, and helium looked astatine him and helium said, ‘Cousins.’ And I deliberation that determination is this anticipation of gathering a shared beingness successful our city, due to the fact that ultimately, that is the communicative of New York City. It's a shared beingness of radical from crossed the world, and it's 1 that we know, adjacent successful the connection of the hostage families themselves, everyone for everyone. We are tied unneurotic arsenic one."