Zohran Mamdani’s remark tying the NYPD to the Israeli Defense Forces resurfaced and ignited a firestorm, putting his law-and-order credentials under a microscope. The clip from a 2023 conference has critics on the right and Jewish organizations demanding answers while his policing proposals keep fueling skepticism about his judgment. This piece walks through what he said, how he’s responded, and why voters and public safety professionals are alarmed.
At a 2023 Democratic Socialists of America panel Mamdani offered a blunt comparison that grabbed attention. “We have to make clear that when the boot of the NYPD is on your neck, it’s been laced by the IDF,” Mamdani, who was a keynote speaker, said while speaking on a panel during the Democratic Socialists of America’s 2023 national convention. That line was enough to turn a political debate into a controversy about prejudice and judgment.
Mamdani has a history of provocative language about law enforcement that keeps coming back to haunt him. He previously said the NYPD should be defunded and is “racist, anti-queer and a major threat to public safety,” language that many voters and leaders saw as hostile to the men and women who keep the city moving. At the 2023 panel he also tried to frame his remarks with an apology-style preface: “Sorry, I just wanted to – before we get to the next questions – I just wanted to address a couple of the questions,” Mamdani said during the 2023 DSA conference panel as he teed up his analogy about the NYPD and IDF.
After the clip circulated Mamdani attempted to reposition himself as a pragmatic partner for policing in the city. “You know, I’ve said time and again that with public safety, I’m looking forward to working with police officers here in New York City to deliver it,” Mamdani said during a Tuesday event in Hell’s Kitchen after video of his remarks began circulating. “I’m looking forward to ensuring that we actually tackle the retention crisis at hand, where we now have about 350 officers leaving the department every month. And that is something we will bring to an end by ensuring that police officers are only asked to do the work of a police department, not the work of social services, as they have.”
When pressed about overseas ties and the NYPD’s liaison office in Israel Mamdani was quick to shift focus back home. He insisted his “focus” was on the NYPD in New York, not overseas, but that line hasn’t calmed critics who see his remarks as part of a pattern. For many voters, the original analogy still undercuts any claim that he respects law enforcement partners.
Social media and public figures wasted no time piling on, making the controversy political and personal. “This guy is truly awful,” Outkick.com founder Clay Travis posted on X. “People are rightly pointing out that this is textbook antisemitism (all your problems are caused by Jews!), but my question is, when Mamdani issued his blanket apology to the NYPD, did that apology extend to the people who laced their boots?! Inquiring minds want to know!” NewsNation Host Batya Ungar-Sargon posted on X. “There is a word for this kind of twisted fear mongering and conspiratorial thinking: antisemitism,” Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt posted on X. “Sick. Zohran Mamdani smeared Israel and the NYPD in one breath, claiming the ‘boot on your neck is laced by the IDF,” Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., posted on X. “This is antisemitic, divisive, & dangerous.”
Mamdani’s policy prescriptions have also rattled public safety experts who say theory and practice are worlds apart. He has suggested social workers and other non-police professionals like ‘transit ambassadors’ should handle certain 911 calls, a proposal he says would ease the NYPD workload and improve retention. That approach may work for some calls, but many critics warn it could create confusion and deadly delays when real crime is unfolding.
During a recent debate he added that he wants to reorganize the NYPD and “trust” 911 dispatchers to “make the determination on whether there was any indication of violence” and that law enforcement is necessary to respond. Retired officers and public safety academics scoffed at that idea, calling it unrealistic and dangerous. “I don’t have a clue what he’s talking about and neither does he,” Joseph Giacalone said. “My question is, what happens when the dispatcher is wrong and someone dies? Is it an oops? The liability the city would be taking on with this idea will be off the charts.”
High-profile New Yorkers weighed in with blunt critiques about his tone and temperament for city leadership. Former New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, called Mamdani “divisive across the board” and slammed his opponent in the New York City mayoral race for “call[ing] the NYPD racist.” Cuomo argued the city’s leaders must pull people together, not tear them apart, and many voters seem to agree.
