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Zohran Mamdani appoints liberal Zionist to lead Office to Combat Antisemitism (www.thejc.com)

submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml to c/progressivepolitics@lemmy.world

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has appointed the Zionist leader of a liberal Jewish community group to lead his Office to Combat Antisemitism.

Phylisa Wisdom, who will be leading City Hall’s fight against Jew-hatred, has led the New York Jewish Agenda since 2023.

The group opposed the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, an anti-Israel initiative Mamdani has previously expressed his support for.

The group been instrumental in calling out antisemitism over the years. Last month, after a protest outside a synagogue saw activists chant “we support Hamas”, NYJA condemned it as “unambiguous and unacceptable antisemitism”.

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[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 33 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Wisdom, 39, has aligned herself with some of the positions Mamdani has taken on countering antisemitism, including opposition to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, which considers most forms of anti-Zionism as antisemitic.

Brad Lander, a former New York City comptroller who is running for Congress and who has criticized Israel extensively, stated that Wisdom “is the perfect person for the job.”

A good move in the current context. The anti-zionism-is-anti-semitism zionists are already complaining about her. 🤭

He should also appt an islamophobia czar.

[–] geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml -5 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Liberal Zionism is still Zionism. She opposes BDS and supports the genocidal Apartheid. There shouldn't be a czar for any specific group. it should be a single office handling all discrimination.

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Yeah, a single person/office would be better. That said I don't think he should ignore the material reality that he's mayor of a huge and very influential Jewish minority. Anti-zionism is growing, including in the Jewish community. His move would help that growth continue by shielding his admin a bit from fake antisemitism attacks. If he executes well on his other material agendas, there may not be a need for such shield by the next election.