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NBC News
21 hours ago
- Politics
- NBC News
NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani draws criticism for ‘intifada' remarks
Zohran Mamdani, a candidate in the Democratic primary for the New York City mayoral election, drew pushback from Jewish organizations and political leaders this week after he appeared to defend the slogan 'globalize the intifada.' In an interview with The Bulwark posted Tuesday, Mamdani was asked whether the expression made him uncomfortable. In response, Mamdani said the slogan captured 'a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights.' He said the U.S. Holocaust Museum had used the word 'intifada' in Arabic-language descriptions of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising against Nazi Germany. Mamdani, a progressive New York State Assemblyman who has forcefully criticized the Israeli government, also addressed the rise in antisemitism since the Oct. 7 terror attack and the war in Gaza, saying anti-Jewish prejudice was 'a real issue in our city' and one that the next mayor should focus on 'tackling.' He added that he believes the city's community safety offices should increase funding for anti-hate crime measures. In a post on X on Wednesday, the Washington-based U.S. Holocaust Museum sharply condemned Mamdani's remarks: 'Exploiting the Museum and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising to sanitize 'globalize the intifada' is outrageous and especially offensive to survivors. Since 1987 Jews have been attacked and murdered under its banner. All leaders must condemn its use and the abuse of history.' The U.S. Holocaust Museum did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how it had translated the Warsaw Uprising into Arabic. Jonathan Greenblatt, the chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League, decried the phrase on X as an 'explicit incitement to violence.' Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., who is Jewish, said in a statement that the term 'intifada' is 'well understood to refer to the violence terror attacks against innocent Israeli civilians that occurred during the First and Second Intifadas.' 'If Mr. Mamdani is unwilling to heed the request of major Jewish organizations to condemn this unquestionably antisemitic phrase,' Goldman added, 'then he is unfit to lead a city with 1.3 million Jews — the largest Jewish population outside of Israel.' Mamdani has also faced criticism from some of the other candidates in the crowded Democratic primary field — including the frontrunner, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo's polling advantage has narrowed in recent weeks as Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist, built momentum and nabbed a key endorsement from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. In a statement, Cuomo called on all the contenders in the race to 'denounce' Mamdani's comments and invoked recent violent attacks on Jewish people nationwide. 'At a time when we are seeing antisemitism on the rise and in fact witnessing once again violence against Jews resulting in their deaths in Washington, D.C. or their burning in Denver — we know all too well that words matter,' Cuomo said in part, referring to the killings of two Israeli Embassy employees and an attack on Israeli hostage advocates in Boulder. 'They fuel hate. They fuel murder.' The war in Gaza and the spike in antisemitism have loomed large over New York City's mayoral primary. Cuomo, 67, casts himself as a fierce defender of Israel and pitches himself to Jewish residents and ideological moderates as the obvious choice in the race. Mamdani, who has characterized Israel's conduct in Gaza as 'genocide,' gained traction partly thanks to enthusiastic support from the city's progressives. Mamdani, speaking to reporters at a press event in Harlem on Wednesday, addressed the outcry over his interview with The Bulwark and the ensuing pushback, saying in part that 'it pains me to be called an antisemite.' 'I've said at every opportunity that there is no room for antisemitism in this city, in this country. I've said that because that is something I personally believe,' Mamdani said. He broke down crying as he described the vitriol he has received as he seeks to become the first Muslim mayor of New York City. 'I get messages that say: 'The only good Muslim is a dead Muslim.' I get threats on my life, on the people that I love,' Mamdani said, eyes welling up with tears. New York City's Democratic mayoral primary is on June 24. The scandal-plagued incumbent mayor, Eric Adams, won election as a Democrat in 2021, but he is not participating in the party's nominating contest. He is reportedly petitioning to run on two independent ballot lines: 'EndAntiSemitism' and 'Safe&Affordable.'
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Crowdfunding hate: Shiloh Hendrix raises $790K after racist slur on child; donors post Nazi symbols
Source- GiveSendGo Shiloh Hendrix, a white woman from Minnesota, who went viral after she was caught on camera using a racial slur sgainst a 5-year-old child at a park on 28 April, has received unexpected support—more than $790,000 in online donations. The money came through GiveSendGo, a platform known for hosting fundraisers linked to far-right causes. Her campaign drew over 30,000 supporters, many of whom left donation messages containing racial slurs and Nazi symbols. . In her fundraiser description, Hendrix wrote: 'My name is Shiloh and I have been put into a very dire situation. I recently had a kid steal from my 18-month-old son's diaper bag at a park. I called the kid out for what he was. Another man, whom we recently found out has had a history with law enforcement, proceeded to record me and follow me to my car. He then posted these videos online, which have caused my family and me great turmoil… My eldest child may not be going back to school. Even where I exercise has been exposed.' Woman captured in viral video hurling the N-word on a Minnesota playground In later posts, Hendrix thanked donors and said the fundraiser was life-changing. 'We have a wonderful support team on our side… We can now work on starting a new life. Amazing things can happen when like-minded individuals work together. We have proven just how powerful and great we are,' she wrote. Hendrix case reflects a wider shift in the US since Donald Trump's political rise. Such statements and the support that followed have alarmed critics. Between 2016 and 2022, extremist-linked campaigns on platforms like GiveSendGo raised more than $6 million, according to Anti-Defamation League. Mark Dwyer from the Anti-Defamation League said this kind of crowdfunding is no longer limited to organised far-right groups. It also attracts everyday people who may not see racism as a problem. 'They don't view what she did as wrong. For many, this might be the first action they take beyond posting on social media—donating money to show support,' The Guardian quoted Dwyer as saying. GiveSendGo has defended hosting the fundraiser, saying to The Guardian it supports 'personal choice' even in controversial cases. 'GiveSendGo is not a place of judgment but a place of generosity,' a spokesperson said.
The Hill
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
X sues New York over social media disclosure law
Elon Musk's X sued the state of New York on Tuesday over a law requiring social media sites to detail how they moderate hate speech, extremism, misinformation and other types of content on their platforms. X argues the law, which is set to go into effect Thursday, violates the First Amendment by compelling companies to disclose 'highly sensitive and controversial speech.' 'The law thus impermissibly interferes with the First Amendment-protected editorial judgments of companies such as X Corp. to remove, demonetize, or deprioritize such speech on their platforms,' the lawsuit reads. The measure, known as the Stop Hiding Hate Act, requires social media platforms to publicly post their terms of service, as well as to submit a report to the New York attorney general about their moderation of hate speech, racism, extremism, radicalization, disinformation, misinformation, harassment and foreign political interference. Companies are subject to fines of up to $15,000 a day for failing to comply with the law. Musk's social media site, which he bought as Twitter in 2022, contends the reporting requirements are a 'carbon copy' of provisions of a California law that were blocked in court last year. California ultimately agreed to drop the provisions as part of a settlement with X. New York state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D) and assemblymember Grace Lee (D), who sponsored the measure, argued Tuesday that it does not infringe on social media firms' First Amendment rights and instead requires 'narrowly-tailored' disclosures to help consumers decide between platforms. 'We were proud to sponsor the Stop Hiding Hate Act, in partnership with the Anti-Defamation League, because social media companies, including X, are cesspools of hate speech consisting of antisemitism, racism, Islamophobia and anti-LGBTQ bias, yet those platforms have consistently failed to inform the public about their policies regarding hatred and misinformation,' they said in a joint statement. 'We're confident that the court will reject this attempt by X to use the First Amendment as a shield against providing New Yorkers with much needed transparency around their conduct,' the lawmakers added. New York has passed several measures in recent years taking aim at the potential harms associated with social media platforms. Last June, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed into law a bill requiring platforms to restrict addictive feeds for kids. State lawmakers also approved a measure Tuesday requiring warning labels for social media platforms. The bill now heads to Hochul's desk for signing.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Elon Musk's X sues New York to block social media hate speech law
Elon Musk's X Corp sued New York on Tuesday, challenging the constitutionality of a state law requiring social media companies to disclose how they monitor hate speech, extremism, disinformation, harassment and foreign political interference. X said the law known as the Stop Hiding Hate Act violated the First Amendment and state constitution by subjecting it to lawsuits and heavy fines unless it disclosed "highly sensitive and controversial speech" that New York may find objectionable. Deciding what content is acceptable on social media platforms "engenders considerable debate among reasonable people about where to draw the correct proverbial line," X said. "This is not a role that the government may play." The complaint filed in Manhattan federal court also quoted a letter from two legislators who sponsored the law, which said X and Musk in particular had a "disturbing record" on content moderation 'that threatens the foundations of our democracy.' New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat who enforces the state's laws, is the named defendant in X's lawsuit. Her office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Musk, the world's richest person and recently a close adviser to Republican President Donald Trump, has described himself as a free speech absolutist. He did away with the content moderation policy of Twitter, as X was previously known, after he bought the company for $44 billion in October 2022. New York's law requires social media companies to disclose steps they take to eliminate hate on their platforms, and to report their progress. Civil fines could reach $15,000 per violation per day. The law was written by state Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblymember Grace Lee, both Democrats, with help from the Anti-Defamation League. It was signed in December by Governor Kathy Hochul, also a Democrat. X said New York based its law on a nearly identical 2023 California law whose enforcement was partially blocked by a federal appeals court last September because of free speech concerns. California agreed in a February settlement with X not to enforce the law's disclosure requirements. In a joint statement, Hoylman-Sigal and Lee said they were confident a judge would uphold New York's content moderation law. "The fact that Elon Musk would go to these lengths to avoid disclosing straightforward information to New Yorkers" shows why the law is necessary, the legislators said. The case is X Corp v James, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 25-05068.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
Elon Musk's X sues New York over social media hate speech law
Elon Musk's X sues New York over social media hate speech law Show Caption Hide Caption Six takeaways from the President Donald Trump, Elon Musk feud From disappointment to threats, here are six takeaways from the public spat between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Elon Musk's X Corp sued New York on Tuesday, challenging the constitutionality of a state law requiring social media companies to disclose how they monitor hate speech, extremism, disinformation, harassment and foreign political interference. X said the law known as the Stop Hiding Hate Act violated the First Amendment and state constitution by subjecting it to lawsuits and heavy fines unless it disclosed "highly sensitive and controversial speech" that New York may find objectionable. Deciding what content is acceptable on social media platforms "engenders considerable debate among reasonable people about where to draw the correct proverbial line," X said. "This is not a role that the government may play." The complaint filed in Manhattan federal court also quoted a letter from two legislators who sponsored the law, which said X and Musk in particular had a "disturbing record" on content moderation "that threatens the foundations of our democracy." New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat who enforces the state's laws, is the named defendant in X's lawsuit. Her office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Musk, the world's richest person and recently a close adviser to Republican President Donald Trump, has described himself as a free speech absolutist. In case you missed it: Elon Musk vastly outranks all other 'superbillionaires' in new report on richest people He did away with the content moderation policy of Twitter, as X was previously known, after he bought the company for $44 billion in October 2022. New York's law requires social media companies to disclose steps they take to eliminate hate on their platforms, and to report their progress. Civil fines could reach $15,000 per violation per day. The law was written by state Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblymember Grace Lee, both Democrats, with help from the Anti-Defamation League. It was signed in December by Governor Kathy Hochul, also a Democrat. X said New York based its law on a nearly identical 2023 California law whose enforcement was partially blocked by a federal appeals court last September because of free speech concerns. California agreed in a February settlement with X not to enforce the law's disclosure requirements. In a joint statement, Hoylman-Sigal and Lee said they were confident a judge would uphold New York's content moderation law. "The fact that Elon Musk would go to these lengths to avoid disclosing straightforward information to New Yorkers" shows why the law is necessary, the legislators said. The case is X Corp v James, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 25-05068. Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Bill Berkrot and Nick Zieminski
