ADL: 20% of Mamdani Transition Picks Tied to Anti-Israel Rhetoric

At least 20% of the 400 people appointed to New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's transition team have a history of "making or sharing anti-Zionist or anti-Israel statements," according to a Monday report by the Anti-Defamation League.

The report by the ADL, which has been screening Mamdani's transition advisers for comments seen as hateful toward Jewish people, came after the organization discovered last week that Mamdani's incoming City Hall appointments director, Cat Almonte Da Costa, made offensive social media posts about Jews when she was a teenager.

The disclosure prompted Da Costa to apologize and announce she would not join his administration.

Mamdani, New York City's first Muslim and democratic socialist mayor-elect, has been scrutinized over his support for divesting from Israel in response to its alleged treatment of Palestinians.

He has also been criticized for positions that critics charge promote antisemitism, something he has vehemently denied.

"Many of Mayor-elect Mamdani's Transition Committee appointments are inconsistent with his campaign commitments to prioritize the safety of New York's Jewish community," the report stated.

"The composition of these Transition Committees will directly influence the administration's policies and approach to Jewish community concerns, and the current appointments raise serious questions as to whether those concerns will not be adequately represented or addressed."

The ADL said members of Mamdani's transition team have ties to several anti-Zionist groups.

Those include Students for Justice in Palestine, which the ADL said glorified Iranian-backed Hamas' terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023, and regularly sponsors protests and events "that can create a hostile campus environment for Jewish students."

The report also cited Jewish Voice for Peace, which it described as a group "that advocates for the eradication of Zionism and demonizes Zionists."

Another group highlighted was Within Our Lifetime, a New York-based "radical anti-Zionist organization that is known for leading protests outside synagogues and facilitating some of the most heinous antisemitic rhetoric and incidents seen in New York City since Oct. 7."

Among the transition team members cited in the report were:

– Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari (Committee on Youth & Education). The report states Shaakir-Ansari participated in the CUNY encampment and posted photos in front of a banner featuring an inverted red triangle, a symbol popularized by Hamas that glorifies violence, along with the words "LONG LIVE THE RESISTANCE." Shaakir-Ansari's social media activity also includes a post of a cartoon depicting Israel as a dog pushing a person representing Palestinians off a bed.

– Alina Shen (Committee on Housing). The ADL said Shen is the organizing director at CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities. "As a senior leader of this organization, Shen holds a position of significant responsibility for CAAAV's mission and public positions," the report said. "CAAAV has a long history of anti-Zionist advocacy, supporting violence against Israel and working with anti-Israel groups."

– Youssef Mubaraz (Committee on Small Businesses & MWBEs, or Minority- and/or Women-owned Business Enterprises). The report claims Mubaraz dismissed a Facebook video posted in August 2024 documenting Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, including the use of rape and kidnapping, as "propaganda." The ADL also noted that the Yemeni American Merchants Association, where Mubaraz serves as director of public relations, organized a rally in support of Imam Siraj Wahhaj, "who has a history of antisemitic and other bigoted rhetoric."

– Kazi Fouzia (Committee on Worker Justice). Fouzia is the director of organizing at DRUM Beats, an advocacy group for South Asians. The ADL said that the day after Hamas' terrorist attack, Fouzia posted on Facebook, "Resistance are Justified when people are occupied" alongside video footage from an anti-Israel protest held that day in Manhattan.

– Mohammed Karim Chowdhury (Committee on Worker Justice). Chowdhury is the national secretary of the Alliance of South Asian American Labor, which shared a post claiming that "Zionists are worse than Haman of ancient times, the Inquisition, and the Nazis. Zionists are never Jews."

The report also cited appointees with ties to the Nation of Islam or its longtime leader Louis Farrakhan, who has a history of antisemitic rhetoric. Those individuals are Jacques Léandre (Committee on Legal Affairs), Tamika Mallory (Committee on Community Safety), and Mysonne "The General" Linen (Committee on the Criminal Legal System).

"The swift action taken in the Da Costa case demonstrates that when clear antisemitic statements are identified, Mayor-elect Mamdani's team can and will respond appropriately," the report stated.

"This makes it all the more important to understand how other appointments with concerning backgrounds were made and what this reveals about the vetting standards that will be applied to actual administration positions."

Newsmax reached out to Mamdani for comment.