Brad Lander, the Democratic representative-elect for New York’s 10th Congressional District, has tapped Jesse Myerson, a self-described communist with a history of anti-Zionist statements, to serve as his communications director as he prepares to take office in January.
Myerson’s views on national borders and Israel date back more than a decade. In a 2013 article for the socialist publication Jacobin, he argued that the political left should seek to eliminate national borders by uniting workers across the world.
In articles for Salon in 2014 and 2015, he referred to himself as “this communist” and a “publicly self-identified communist.”
In a November 2023 Facebook post, Myerson wrote that “there is no such thing as Israel,” grouping the Jewish state with countries including China, Russia and the United States. He argued that nations are constructs used by ruling classes to divide workers.
In a portion of the post shared on the social media platform Bluesky in 2025, Myerson distinguished between the right of Jews to live safely and Israel’s right to exist as a nation-state. He rejected the latter, arguing that it would preserve Jewish political, military and economic dominance over other inhabitants of the region.
Myerson also defended the phrase “globalize the intifada” in a June 2025 Bluesky post. “Of course I understand why, to many Jewish New Yorkers, ‘Globalize the Intifada’ is a scary slogan,” he wrote. “Imagine how ‘Am Yisrael Chai’ must sound to Palestinian New Yorkers.”
His criticism has extended to Jewish religious traditions. In a 2017 article for Jewish Currents about Hanukkah, Myerson described halachic law as “backward,” criticized the Maccabees for practicing “genital mutilation” and expressed discomfort with celebrating Jewish military victories. He also called the Zionist project “absurd.”
Lander, who identifies as a progressive Zionist, defended the appointment in comments to Jewish Insider.
“I have confidence in him to communicate my liberal Zionist views,” Lander said. He described Myerson as “a proud Jewish New Yorker” who would not compromise on anyone’s humanity and would listen thoughtfully to people with differing views.
Lander broke with the Democratic Socialists of America in late 2023 over the group’s response to Oct. 7. He defeated Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) in the June Democratic primary with backing from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani before winning the general election on Nov. 3.
Myerson previously worked for the Jewish activist group IfNotNow and politicians affiliated with the DSA. His appointment follows an earlier controversy involving a Lander campaign consultant who had shared conspiracy theories linking Israel to the Sept. 11 attacks and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The campaign severed ties with the consultant after the remarks came to light.
