As a staunch Zionist and leader in Baltimore’s Jewish community, I cannot remain silent when American leaders give their blessing to those who reject Israel’s very right to exist. The endorsements of Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) are not just disappointing; they are dangerous. Mamdani is not a critic of Israeli policies. He is an open anti-Zionist who seeks to dismantle the Jewish state.
Mamdani has declared that the Palestinian cause is “central to my identity.” He has said Israel should not exist as a Jewish state, backed the BDS movement, defended academic boycotts of Israeli universities, and, after Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre, accused Israel of committing “genocide.” He even vowed that if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits New York, he would try to have him arrested. Most chilling of all, Mamdani refuses to condemn Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization responsible for murdering Israeli civilians.
This is the candidate Van Hollen and Raskin are championing. Their endorsements carry weight, and their choices matter. By elevating Mamdani, they are legitimizing the most extreme voices of anti-Zionism and telling the world that even America’s political elite are prepared to stand with those who excuse terrorism.
Van Hollen’s trajectory shows just how far he has drifted. He once backed the Iron Dome to defend Israeli civilians from Hamas rockets. Today, he smears Israel with false charges of “ethnic cleansing” and attacks his fellow Democrats as “spineless” for not endorsing Mamdani. He supports legislation that punishes Israelis living in the West Bank, aligning himself with activists who demonize Israel at every turn.
Raskin’s betrayal cuts even deeper. As a Jewish lawmaker with national stature, his words reverberate far beyond the state of Maryland. When he co-sponsored the “Block the Bombs Act” to restrict the transfer of U.S. arms to Israel and when he called Israel’s war against Hamas “unjust, immoral and futile,” he lent legitimacy to the lie that Israel’s fight for survival is somehow immoral. By endorsing Mamdani, he has crossed an unmistakable line: Giving Jewish cover to anti-Zionism. That is not leadership. It is betrayal.
When elected officials endorse candidates who demonize Israel, the consequences ripple outward. It emboldens anti-Zionists, normalizes their hatred and weakens America’s bipartisan tradition of support for Israel’s security. It signals to adversaries like Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran that even in Washington, Israel is vulnerable to isolation.
Baltimore’s Jewish community has always been strong, generous and outspoken. That strength must now be summoned again. We cannot shrug off betrayal as “just politics.” We must hold Van Hollen and Raskin accountable, and we must make clear that the Jewish community will never stand with those who deny Israel’s right to exist.
There is room in Jewish politics for debate, disagreement and different perspectives on policy. But there is no room for anti-Zionism. The stakes are too high, the threats too real. If Israel loses the support of American leaders, it loses its lifeline.
We must open our eyes, speak with clarity and act with resolve. Our community will not be complicit in giving power to voices that embolden Israel’s enemies.
Silence in the face of betrayal is not an option. Baltimore’s Jewish community is standing up, and we urge other communities across America to do the same. Wherever political leaders embrace anti-Zionism or give cover to antisemitism, they must be challenged and held accountable. Our collective voice can and must ensure that hatred of Israel and the Jewish people has no place in American public life.
