NYC Councilwoman Criticizes Mayor Mamdani over Antisemitic Protest and Swastika Graffiti

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani faces criticism for his handling of recent antisemitic incidents, including a protest outside Park East Synagogue and swastika graffiti in Queens.

City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino, R-District 19, told Fox News Digital that Mamdani has created a very dangerous environment and accused him of standing with the protesters. Her district is in Queens but does not include the graffitied areas.

What this mayor has done is told everybody in his way that this is okay, Paladino said. This behavior is condoned and it's okay, not condemned, condoned by the mayor of New York City because he agrees 100% with them. The councilwoman noted that Mamdani, as an assemblyman, protested against ICE and confronted border czar Tom Homan in 2025.

I refuse to recognize him as my mayor because he's not a leader, she said.

On Tuesday evening, anti-Israel agitators clashed with New York Police Department officers during a protest against the Great Israeli Real Estate Event at Park East Synagogue. Videos showed agitators trying to push down and breach NYPD barricades as officers worked to control the crowd.

Some of the rhetoric and conduct outside Park East Synagogue, including displays of support for terrorist organizations and antisemitic acts, was unacceptable, Mamdani's Deputy Press Secretary Sam Raskin told Fox News Digital. As the mayor has said, chants in support of terrorist organizations and promoting violence of any kind have no place in our city.

The protest drew national attention. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., called the protesters a mob of pro-Hezbollah/Hamas s---heads and criticized his party for not condemning the incident strongly enough. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said on X that the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division would investigate.

Park East Synagogue remains steadfast in our commitment to peaceful worship, and we are grateful for the NYPD's tireless efforts in protecting the community of our historic landmark synagogue, a Park East Synagogue spokesperson said in a statement.

The protest followed days after swastikas appeared spray-painted on synagogues, private homes, cars and a Jewish community center in Queens. One swastika defaced a plaque honoring Holocaust victims. The NYPD released surveillance footage of four suspects wanted in the graffiti spree.

City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who is Jewish and the daughter and granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, visited the vandalism sites. In a statement on X, she called the graffiti terrifying signals of hatred and threats of violence. Her spokesperson Jack Lobel told Fox News Digital that Menin raised the issue with the NYPD to ensure those responsible face justice.

Menin also condemned the Park East Synagogue protest. Calls for the destruction of Israel and the glorification of Hezbollah are horrific, intimidating, and only fuel the flames of antisemitism, she said.

Paladino dismissed Menin's visit as a photo op and said the speaker had not done enough.

Lobel responded that Speaker Menin has a clear record of combatting antisemitism, not just with words but with action. Her first major announcement as speaker was a Five-Point Plan to Combat Antisemitism, including strengthened protections for houses of worship and investments in Holocaust education.

Menin's plan proposed perimeters around entrances and exits of houses of worship to prohibit harassment and intimidation while preserving First Amendment rights. The City Council passed two buffer zone bills, one for schools and one for houses of worship. Mamdani vetoed the school protection bill.

Mamdani said he firmly disagreed with the real estate expo promoting sales of land in the occupied West Bank, in settlements that violate international law. He added that the land sales have been at the heart of an ongoing effort to displace Palestinians from their homes.

The incidents have intensified scrutiny of Mamdani in the city with the largest Jewish population outside Israel.