More than 700 rabbis have signed a letter calling on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to apologize for comments he made about the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), arguing that his remarks contribute to concerns about antisemitism at a time when incidents targeting Jewish Americans remain a national issue, as reported by Fox News.

The controversy stems from comments Mamdani made during a June 18 campaign rally ahead of New York City's Democratic primary elections.

During the event, he referred to AIPAC as "monsters" who use "millions in dark money to accomplish a single goal — to preserve their power, so that they can turn us against one another."

The remarks prompted criticism from Jewish leaders and organizations, including a letter signed by hundreds of rabbis representing congregations with a range of perspectives on Israel, American politics, and the war in Gaza.

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The letter states, "By casting pro-Israel civic participation as monstrous, conspiratorial and anti-democratic, Mr. Mamdani has put a target on the backs of American Jews and their allies."

The rabbis also wrote, "Mr. Mamdani’s words matter because they were spoken by the leader of the city with the largest Jewish population outside Israel. They matter because antisemitism in America is rising."

The letter described the comments as "beneath the office he holds" and concluded by urging the mayor to apologize, retract the remarks, and affirm that "Jews and pro-Israel Americans are full participants in our democracy."

It added, "We can debate policy. We can argue about money in politics. We can disagree passionately about Israel and the Middle East. But no elected leader should demonize Jews or those who stand with the Jewish state. Criticizing Israeli policy is not antisemitic. Treating millions of Zionist Jews as morally suspect, politically illegitimate, or less deserving of equal participation in public life is."

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Mamdani addressed the criticism during an appearance on Monday after signing an executive order. In response to questions about the controversy, he defended his remarks.

"We're talking about a status quo where children are being killed on a daily basis," Mamdani said.

"And when I am speaking about AIPAC, I'm speaking about an organization that has been supportive of the status quo, that has fought any attempt to actually deliver safety to people, not just in Palestine, but frankly, through much of the region. And it is a status quo for immorality. It is one that I will not accept," he added.

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Mamdani also responded to questions about his use of the word "monsters," saying he was referencing the writings of Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci.

"I used the term to describe all those who are preventing the birth of a new world. Not solely AIPAC, but frankly, super PACs at large, who are spending millions of dollars in deceptive and misleading ads that are blanketing the airwaves," he said.

His office also pointed to remarks he delivered during a May event addressing antisemitism and public safety.

"Jewish New Yorkers have worked to cultivate a city that is safe and open to all," Mamdani said at that event. "You should be accorded the same security and the same peace of mind."

He also said New York City would invest $26 million annually to expand hate crime prevention efforts, adding that responding to antisemitism alone is insufficient and that deterrence should also be a priority.

The mayor's comments also drew criticism from several national Jewish leaders.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., wrote on X, "Swap 'AIPAC' for 'Jews' and it’s the oldest antisemitic conspiracy theory in the books. That’s not criticizing a lobby. That’s laundering antisemitism from your podium as Mayor of a city with more than a million Jews. This bulls--- is dangerous."

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt also criticized the remarks.

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"This is the kind of bigoted conspiracy mongering that you expect from unhinged streamers or white supremacists. It’s not the language that we should expect from the mayor whose jurisdiction suffers from the highest levels of antisemitism of any city in America," Greenblatt wrote.

The exchange has intensified debate over political rhetoric, public criticism of pro-Israel advocacy organizations, and concerns surrounding antisemitism as Jewish leaders continue calling for Mamdani to retract his remarks.

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