J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami released the following statement:
“J Street continues to be deeply concerned by the ADL’s ongoing use of its so-called ‘Mamdani Monitor,’ which goes well beyond combating antisemitism and too often conflates legitimate political speech with hate.
In opposing this effort, J Street is not defending any specific statements attributed to members of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s team, and we neither endorse him nor engage in local political races.
The principle we stand by is clear: criticism of Israeli government policy – even sharp or provocative criticism – is not antisemitism.
Efforts to conflate the two, or to use accusations of antisemitism to police or limit free speech, are harmful and counterproductive, and they weaken the fight against real antisemitism.
There is also something deeply wrong when major Jewish leaders and institutions focus disproportionate attention on left-of-center activists’ views on Israel while failing to apply the same scrutiny to the Trump administration and MAGA leaders, whose blatant antisemitism and ties to white nationalist movements pose a clear and dangerous threat to American Jews.
Our communal institutions should fight antisemitism consistently and credibly, wherever it appears – not selectively, and not in ways that inflame fear or deepen division.”