Columbia University professors who signed a letter defending Hamas’s October 7 attack are financially backing socialist Zohran Mamdani’s New York City mayoral campaign, revealing a troubling connection between radical academia and local politics.
Key Takeaways
- Columbia University faculty members who signed a pro-Hamas letter have donated to Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral campaign, linking controversial academic ideologies to local politics.
- Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist, has taken extreme anti-Israel positions, including supporting the BDS movement and vowing to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu if he visits NYC.
- Among the donors is Mamdani’s father, Mahmood Mamdani, who has publicly advocated for Palestinian violence against Israel.
- Mamdani’s radical socialist platform includes proposals for free childcare, free buses, rent freezes, and higher taxes on wealthy New Yorkers.
- Despite endorsement from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, critics question the feasibility of Mamdani’s proposals and his controversial stance on Israel may alienate Jewish voters.
Academic Radicals Funding a Socialist Campaign
Multiple Columbia University faculty members who signed a letter defending Hamas’s October 7 attack have emerged as financial backers of Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral campaign in New York City. These professors include Katherine Franke, Lila Abu-Lughod, Reinhold Martin, James Schamus, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, and Mamdani’s own father, Mahmood Mamdani. This influx of support from academia demonstrates how radical anti-Israel sentiment within elite universities is now directly influencing municipal politics through campaign contributions to candidates who share their extreme viewpoints.
The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum has criticized Mamdani for his inflammatory rhetoric and refusal to disavow the “globalize the intifada” slogan. Katherine Franke, who recently retired from Columbia amid an investigation, has been particularly vocal in her support of Mamdani while participating in pro-Hamas demonstrations. Lila Abu-Lughod has supported academic boycotts against Israel and played a significant role in radicalizing the American Anthropological Association against the Jewish state. These connections demonstrate how academic radicalism is attempting to gain a foothold in city governance.
Mamdani’s Radical Platform and Anti-Israel Stance
Mamdani’s mayoral campaign promotes an extreme socialist agenda focused on reducing the cost of living through government control. His proposals include free childcare, free buses, a rent freeze, and significantly higher taxes on wealthy New Yorkers. These policies, which would require substantial state support, have drawn criticism for their questionable feasibility and massive price tag. His platform represents a concerning shift toward socialist policies that have historically failed wherever they’ve been implemented, placing financial burdens on productive citizens while expanding government control.
“has demonstrated a real ability on the ground to put together a coalition of working-class New Yorkers that is strongest to lead the pack,” said Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
More concerning than his economic policies is Mamdani’s extremist stance on Israel. He openly rejects Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, supports the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel, and has accused Israel of genocide. He has even gone so far as to vow to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he were to visit New York City—a remark that reveals his disregard for diplomatic norms and international relations. These positions have rightfully alarmed Jewish voters and raise serious questions about his judgment and fitness for office.
Family Ties and Academic Influence
Particularly troubling is the role of Mamdani’s father, Mahmood Mamdani, a Columbia professor who has contributed significantly to his son’s campaign. The elder Mamdani has publicly advocated for Palestinian violence and signed the letter defending Hamas’s brutal October 7 attack. This father-son connection represents a direct pipeline from radical academia to city politics, showing how extreme anti-Israel sentiment is being legitimized and normalized through established political channels. The extensive involvement of Columbia faculty in Mamdani’s campaign reveals how academia is extending its influence beyond campus.
Mamdani faces competition from former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who despite past scandals, has secured significant union support. Cuomo has directly criticized Mamdani’s lack of experience, noting, “He’s been in government 27 minutes. He’s passed three bills. That’s all he’s done.” This assessment highlights legitimate concerns about entrusting city leadership to someone with minimal governmental experience and radical ideological commitments. Mamdani’s campaign represents a concerning attempt to bring fringe academic theories into mainstream governance.
The Broader Implications
The connection between Columbia’s anti-Israel faculty and Mamdani’s campaign demonstrates the troubling spread of radical ideologies from campus to city hall. As taxpayers and voters, New Yorkers should be deeply concerned about the prospect of academic extremism influencing city policy. Mamdani’s campaign, with its combination of socialist economics and anti-Israel sentiment, represents a dangerous shift away from common-sense governance toward ideologically-driven politics that ignore economic realities and embrace concerning foreign policy positions that could damage New York’s standing with key allies.
For New York to remain a world-class city, voters must reject this incursion of campus radicalism into city politics. The unholy alliance between anti-Israel academics and socialist political candidates threatens not only New York’s economic stability but also its longstanding support for America’s democratic allies abroad. President Trump’s warnings about socialist infiltration of American politics are being validated as we witness radical academia’s direct financial support for candidates who share their extreme worldview.
