Foreign ministry says mayor has poured ‘antisemitic gasoline on an open fire’ by scrapping IHRA definition

Israel’s foreign ministry has accused the New York mayor, Zohran Mamdani, of pouring “antisemitic gasoline on an open fire” after he reversed a recent order by the outgoing mayor, Eric Adams.

“On his very first day as @NYCMayor, Mamdani shows his true face: he scraps the IHRA definition of antisemitism and lifts restrictions on boycotting Israel. This isn’t leadership. It’s antisemitic gasoline on an open fire,” the foreign ministry said in a post on X.

Mamdani revoked an Adams-era order that adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, which the previous administration said included “demonizing Israel and holding it to double standards as forms of contemporary antisemitism”.

  • phutatorius@lemmy.zip
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    19
    ·
    2 days ago

    Well look at that, a foreign country interfering in US internal politics again, and both major parties turn a blind eye.

  • wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    70
    ·
    3 days ago

    Mamdani has expressed support for the Jewish population of NYC.

    The only thing he did here that Israel is criticizing him for, is reaffirming the distinction between Jewish identity and the state of Israel. The definition he scrapped conflated the two; it was a bad-faith definition aimed at obfuscation.

    It’s entirely possible to validly criticize the actions of a nation’s government without promoting hatred of its people; the fact of Israel being an ethnostate doesn’t change that.

    It’s also harmful to conflate Jewish identity with Israeli politics, because there are many Jewish people who don’t support the actions of the far-right, ultra-orthodox government of the state of Israel. Conflating them results in the dispersal of blame for Israel’s actions across all Jewish people everywhere, and that is anti-semitic.

    Also, Arabic is a semitic language, so doesn’t that make islamophobia a form of anti-semitism? That would mean Benjamin Netanyahu is the biggest anti-semite alive today. Just food for thought…

    • AnchoriteMagus@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      26
      ·
      2 days ago

      Probably half of my social circle are practicing Jews or come from Jewish families. Not only do none of them support Israel, but most of them are vastly more ferocious in their criticism than I am.

      They’re really speedrunning the whole “Our entire diaspora hates us.” thing.

      • BreadstickNinja@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        19
        ·
        2 days ago

        We attend a Passover seder every year where the host mother dedicates the ceremony to the people of Palestine, that they may one day be set free of their bondage and suffering as were the Jews in Egypt.

        Easily 80% of the Jewish people we know are fiercely anti-zionist and horrified by the Israeli government.

    • phutatorius@lemmy.zip
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      8
      ·
      2 days ago

      Also, Arabic is a semitic language, so doesn’t that make islamophobia a form of anti-semitism?

      It would if most Muslims were native Arabic speakers. They aren’t, though. The biggest Muslim populations are in Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Iran. Of those, only Iran has any Arab people at all, and they’re a small minority.

      • wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        8
        ·
        2 days ago

        That’s true, and I was hoping everyone would conveniently ignore that fact. But most of the Muslims hated by western bigots are from Arab-majority nations, and Benjamin Netanyahu certainly hates enough Arab people to be called anti-semitic nonetheless.

        A lot of americans don’t even realize there are Arab Christians…

    • Tollana1234567@lemmy.today
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      2 days ago

      it also encourages anti-semitism against jewish by neonazis and further cements that belief, and also stereotypes of jews.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      51
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      3 days ago

      The joke of American politics is that we really are rife with antisemites, but they’re very friendly with the Israeli lobbying coalition.

      Why pro-Israel lobby group Aipac is backing election deniers and extremist Republicans

      It’s become routine to see Zionists and White Nationalists holding hands together at CPAC, TurningPoint, and the Conservative Climate Leadership Conference.

      Imagine a bunch of John Birchers doing photo ops with Xi Jinping and making ritual visits to Beijing, to praise Mao, because they think it will Own The Libs. That’s the state of American partisanship.

      • AnchoriteMagus@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        16
        ·
        3 days ago

        Zionism fits with the white nationalist goal of separate ethnostates, while all the right-wing theocracy fans want the Jews to control Israel because it fits their “prophecy” of an American government ordained by god.

      • halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        2 days ago

        The Christofascists need Israel to rule the region as an ethnostate, it is a prerequisite for the Christian end times.

        And YHWH declared to His “scattered” followers, “For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land…Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.” (NIV Ezek. 36:24, 28)

        And the current events seem to be directly moving towards these various prophecies, likely intentionally directed by various State actors as well. World War 3 being based in the region is certainly a possibility looking more likely by the day.

        “I will make Jerusalem and Judah like a cup of poison to all the nearby nations that send their armies to surround Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be a heavy stone burdening the world. And though all the nations of the earth unite in an attempt to move her, they will all be crushed.” (NLT Zechariah 12:2-3)

    • Railison@aussie.zone
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      3 days ago

      Of course! The CCP is often at pains to point out any criticism levelled towards them “hurts the feelings of the Chinese people”.

  • b161@lemmy.blahaj.zone
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    26
    ·
    3 days ago

    Who cares? Anyone who doesn’t take glee in genocide, raping and murdering babies, bombing hospitals, murder of journalists, etc. is called antisemitic these days. The word has lost all meaning.

    • explodicle@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      15
      ·
      3 days ago

      That’s exactly why we should care. Diluting the word puts all Jews in greater danger, even the ones who have nothing to do with the genocide.

  • Tollana1234567@lemmy.today
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    13
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    2 days ago

    Israel using anti-semitic tech from peter thiel for its war machine, and recieving aid from the most anti-semetic western country, calling a single person a anti-semite. when you think the saying" everyone is a bitch to you, you are more than likely a bitch", same goes for anti-semitism

    • non_burglar@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      2 days ago

      I know. You can’t make this shit up.

      I’m glad my poor old dad isn’t alive to see this.

      Edit: I mean, I wish he weren’t dead, but this would upset him greatly.

  • dipcart@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    16
    ·
    3 days ago

    I don’t understand how you can have restrictions on boycotting anything, much less a country.

    Like I genuinely don’t get what that means or how it could be in any way enforceable.

    • explodicle@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      9
      ·
      3 days ago

      The point is to outlaw collective action, forcing people into less effective unilateral action. Same reason unions are regulated.

  • yesman@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    15
    ·
    3 days ago

    The Zionists love to use antisemitism as a sword against criticism of Israel. (and the Shoah as their shield) Meanwhile the American right is split over the goddamn Jewish question. Who else thinks this strategy is short-sighted?

    • NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      2 days ago

      It’s not. If the West becomes too dangerous Jews there will for the most part have no choice but to go to Israel, giving them more bodies for their fascist project. This is not a bad thing for them as long as they can count on support from Western antisemites.

      • yesman@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        2 days ago

        Your comment is as wrong as two left shoes. Where in the world is more dangerous for Jews than Israel? Did you know that Israeli building codes require a safe room? Does that sound like a safe place to you?

        • NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          2 days ago

          There’s “building codes require a safe room” dangerous" and there’s “I might actually get lynchrd” dangerous. Exposure to the latter will allow people to accept the former.

    • Tollana1234567@lemmy.today
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      2 days ago

      1/2 are true nazis, who would like nothing better than eliminating jews, the other is only supporting them because of AIPAC/ and defense contractors, plus many UNIVERSITIES have ties to israel too. MIT is probably the biggest offender, in haivng a pipeline to israeli /weapons/tech development.

      charlie kirks main sponsors was israeli backed billionaire.(i think candace owens pretty much calling out that too)