Jeffries: Mamdani must reassure Jewish community 'that he’s going to stand up' for their safety, security

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani needs to reassure Jewish New Yorkers that he plans to prioritize their safety if elected in November.

Jeffries, who still has not endorsed Mamdani’s candidacy, plans to meet with the 33-year-old democratic socialist this week.

The Democratic leader said in a recent interview with Punchbowl News that he expects Mamdani’s refusal to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada” will “be part of our discussion.”

He added that Mamdani needs “to reassure” the Jewish community and others “that he’s going to stand up for their safety and security.”

Mamdani pulled off an upset in the Democratic mayoral primary, defeating former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who had long been seen as the front-runner.

Shortly after the primary, Jeffries congratulated the New York Assembly member on his victory but withheld his endorsement. The House Democratic leader, who represents Brooklyn and a small part of Queens, has previously talked about the rise in hate crimes against Jews in New York and the need to reassure voters that the issue is a priority to him.

“Globalizing the intifada, by way of example, is not an acceptable phrase and he’s going to have to clarify his position on that as he moves forward,” Jeffries said in an interview on MSNBC earlier this month.

“With respect to the Jewish communities that I represent, I think our nominee is going to have to convince folks that he is prepared to aggressively address the rise in antisemitism in the City of New York, which has been an unacceptable development,” he added.