Rep. Nick Langworthy has warned that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s recent remarks about Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are making Jewish residents less safe and exacerbating antisemitism in the city.
Langworthy stated that Mayor Mamdani’s threats claiming Netanyahu could be arrested if he traveled to New York were irresponsible and beyond any mayor’s authority. “This is very long-term damage that’s done,” Langworthy said. “It’s dividing people in the city, and it’s making our Jewish residents in New York less safe. He’s normalizing antisemitism.”
The congressman highlighted that no municipal official has the power to arrest foreign leaders, noting New York hosts the United Nations where world leaders regularly gather. “No mayor has ever had the power to arrest foreign dignitaries or heads of state,” Langworthy emphasized. “In a city that actually hosts the United Nations, it’s a downright dangerous proposition.”
Langworthy linked Mamdani’s rhetoric to recent antisemitic violence, citing Thursday’s synagogue stabbing where two men were attacked by a suspect who shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the assault. He criticized the mayor’s inflammatory comments about the Gaza conflict and support for boycott movements as normalizing antisemitism. “Whether people like it or not, he has a very large platform,” Langworthy said. “He’s creating division in New York City.”
The congressman also stressed that with the UN General Assembly scheduled for September, Mayor Mamdani’s statements have unnecessarily heightened tensions ahead of world leaders’ gatherings. Langworthy urged focus on local responsibilities like repairing potholes and ensuring subway services, rather than engaging in international political disputes. “He’s busy trying to insert himself in international affairs,” he added.
Langworthy warned that the mayor’s rhetoric poses an ongoing threat to Jewish communities and places additional pressure on New York City police as they prepare security for the UN events.
