Veteran Israeli diplomat Shahar Azani took to Newsmax on Thursday to accuse newly inaugurated New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani of being driven by deep-seated hatred and animosity toward Israel and the Jewish community.
"I believe Mamdani is incubated in hatred," Azani told "Newsline," arguing that the mayor has consistently expressed anti-Israel views that cross the line into animosity toward a significant portion of the city's Jewish population.
Azani pointed to remarks Mamdani made several years ago comparing the actions of the New York Police Department to those of the Israeli military.
When "the boot of the NYPD is on your neck, it's been laced by the IDF," Mamdani said, using the abbreviation for the Israel Defense Forces.
According to Azani, that comment was not a momentary lapse or rhetorical flourish but an insight into Mamdani's worldview.
"I think he means what he says," Azani said. "These are not throwaway lines."
Beyond rhetoric, Azani criticized what he described as Mamdani's policy record, dismissing it as a collection of empty promises and failed ideas.
He warned that the greater concern lies not in policy disagreements, but in what he characterized as the ideological environment surrounding Mamdani.
Azani asserted that more than 20% of Mamdani's transition team is made up of people he labeled as extremists, anti-American, anti-Israeli, and anti-Jewish.
"That matters," Azani said, arguing that leadership is defined not only by the person at the top, but also by those empowered. In his view, the composition of Mamdani's inner circle reflects values that threaten the cultural and civic fabric of the city.
Azani urged New Yorkers to approach Mamdani's public persona with skepticism.
"Let us be wary and not beguiled by empty smiles and promises," he said, warning that charisma should not distract from what he views as serious ideological risks.
Framing the stakes broadly, Azani said the issue extends beyond City Hall.
He warned that Mamdani represents a danger not just to New York, but to "the very spirit and soul" of America.
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