New York City's likely Democratic nominee for mayor, state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, is "not an antisemite" and "did condemn the Oct. 7 massacre very clearly," former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio told Newsmax on Wednesday.
"He disagrees with the government of Israel, and you can debate that all you want, but we've got to be clear about the facts," de Blasio said on "American Agenda."
"Don't say someone supported Hamas when they didn't support Hamas. He has condemned those attacks very, very clearly," he added.
In addition, "many Israelis believe there should be, for example, a two-state solution and that Palestinians have rights, too. There's nothing shocking about that. I think we have to really get clear.
"He's not an antisemite. I'm really sick of people throwing antisemitism around so lightly. Look, I was mayor of the city with the largest Jewish population on earth. I am a strong supporter of the state of Israel. I believe that Israel is important in this world.
"I disagree fundamentally with the Netanyahu government. I'm not an antisemite because I disagree with Benjamin Netanyahu. I think the point is, and there are people who are Zionists, I subscribe to that, but there are also people who have real problems with the Israeli government. That doesn't make them antisemitic."
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Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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