Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist running for mayor, declined to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada” during an interview, prompting criticism from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. The phrase has been accused of inciting antisemitic violence, but Mamdani argued it should be viewed as a call to support Palestinian rights.

He attempted to minimize its controversial history by stating that the Holocaust Museum once used the term to describe the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising by Polish Jews fighting Nazis, noting that in Arabic, the word translates to “struggle.”

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The museum responded critically, emphasizing that the phrase stems from 1987’s violent First Intifada. A museum spokesperson stated that Mamdani’s remarks were offensive and accused him of exploiting history to promote a dangerous message—”exploiting the Museum and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising to sanitize ‘globalize the intifada’ is outrageous and especially offensive to survivors,” they tweeted.

Later, a museum representative confirmed the subtweet was directed at Mamdani. The museum reiterated that claims supporting the phrase are false and condemned its use, citing the association with violence and antisemitism.

This controversy comes just before the June 24 primary, with Mamdani’s stance on Israel—including support for boycotts and refusal to sign resolutions acknowledging Israel and the Holocaust—drawing significant criticism. Critics, including prominent Jewish leaders and political figures like Andrew Cuomo, have called out his remarks, asserting that such language fosters antisemitism and violence.

While Mamdani insists he supports nonviolence and has suffered threats himself, critics argue his comments and ideological positions threaten community safety and unity.