Mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani, who faced fierce backlash after declining to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” told a group of business leaders this week he decided to discourage its use after a recent conversation with a Jewish woman who told him the phrase evoked memories of violence.
Mamdani came under fire for not condemning the phrase at the tail end of the primary election, and he has faced accusations that this stance bolstered Jewish hate and antisemitism, including from prominent business people and his political opponents.
Partnership for New York CEO Kathy Wylde, whose group hosted Tuesday’s sitdown, told the Daily News that Mamdani informed the audience of execs that he’d had a change of heart on the contentious phrase after speaking with a Jewish woman recounting a bombing attack in Israel.
“[Mamdani] said he would discourage the use of that phrase because it suggests a statement of supporting violence against Jews,” Wylde said.
“He said that … he had a conversation with a Jewish woman who said it triggered memories of a bombing of a restaurant, and he realized it meant something different to the Jewish community.”
“He is a very good communicator, so I think it was a legitimate change,” she added, saying that Mamdani had also referenced the recent shooting in Boulder, Colo.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo — who focused heavily on painting Mamdani as an antisemite during his unsuccessful primary run — called Mamdani’s change of heart “totally disingenuous.”
“When a person shows you themselves, believe them the first time,” the former governor told The News in Brooklyn on Wednesday.
“So now yes, you’ve offended the entire Jewish community, you’re in a city where antisemitism is on the rise and he’s trying to contort himself,” he continued. “And again, this is not one statement, this is the core of who he is and has always been.” Cuomo is running against Mamdani in November’s election on an independent ballot line.
A spokesman for Mayor Adams, who has also accused Mamdani of being antisemitic, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Zohran appreciated the meeting yesterday, and felt it was a constructive, honest discussion,” Jeffrey Lerner, a spokesman for Mamdani, said. “We look forward to the opportunity to build on this conversation, even in navigating disagreement on fiscal policy.”
Lerner did not say what Mamdani’s revised messaging would be or how he would stay consistent with his past stance that he didn’t want to police speech.
Mamdani first came under fire last month after he was asked on a podcast by the Bulwark whether the phrase made him uncomfortable. He responded that, although he doesn’t use the phrase, his takeaway from it was that there is “desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights.”
During the final days of the primary election, Cuomo and other candidates hammered him for this, accusing him of spreading hateful speech.
Wylde said Mamdani made the remarks in response to a question from Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, who is Jewish.
Aside from the discussion around the “globalize the intifada” phrase, Wylde said she was encouraged that Mamdani came into the meeting telling the business leaders he’s “willing to learn and listen.”
“It wasn’t my way or the highway,” she said.
At the same time, Wylde said Mamdani stuck to his guns on his proposal to increase taxes on millionaires and corporations, an idea that the business community has lambasted.
“It wasn’t a flashpoint, there’s just no agreement on that issue,” she said.
Originally Published: July 16, 2025 at 1:41 PM EDT
