Fetterman blasts NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani: ‘Hard pass for this poser’

Mamdani responded to Fetterman’s criticism with a brief post on X: “This city belongs to all of us. Even the ones John Fetterman hates.”

By Jewish Breaking News

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) took aim at New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Thursday, sharply criticizing the Queens assemblyman and member of the Democratic Socialists of America for his far-left political stances and record on Israel.

“He’s not even a Democrat,” Fetterman wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “He’s a Democrat Socialist that wants to abolish prisons and Israel. Hard pass for this poser.”

The comment was posted in response to Mamdani’s official entry into the 2025 New York City mayoral race earlier this week.

Mamdani, who represents District 36 in Queens, has drawn attention in recent years for his outspoken support of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement and criticism of the Israeli government.

In 2021, Mamdani was one of only a handful of lawmakers who voted against a resolution condemning antisemitism following a spate of attacks against Jews in New York.

He also came under fire for his participation in a rally where protesters chanted slogans viewed by many as hostile toward the Jewish state.

Mamdani has referred to Israel as an “apartheid state” and has advocated for cutting U.S. military aid to Israel — positions that have placed him at odds with mainstream Democrats, especially those in New York, home to the largest Jewish population outside Israel.

Sen. Fetterman, by contrast, has built a reputation as one of the most vocal pro-Israel voices in the Democratic Party.

He has repeatedly condemned antisemitism on the left, denounced the BDS movement, and stood firm in his support for Israel’s right to self-defense.

Following the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks, Fetterman prominently displayed an Israeli flag outside his Senate office and called for unconditional support for Israel’s military response.

In May 2024, Fetterman warned that some progressive voices in his party were “crossing a line” in their rhetoric on Israel, saying, “There’s no space in our movement for people who justify terror or deny Israel’s right to exist.”

Mamdani responded to Fetterman’s criticism with a brief post on X: “This city belongs to all of us. Even the ones John Fetterman hates.”

The exchange highlights the growing ideological divide within the Democratic Party, particularly as younger, progressive candidates challenge more centrist figures ahead of the 2025 primaries.

The New York City mayoral race is expected to draw a crowded field, with Mamdani’s candidacy adding fuel to the debate over the Democratic Party’s direction on issues of public safety, foreign policy, and intra-party values.