“I don’t think we should purchase Israel bonds; we don’t purchase bonds for any other sovereign nation’s debt,” blurred Mayor Zohran Mamdani in his latest bid to fudge one of his anti-Israel positions as simply enforcing some neutral rule.
His take on city Comptroller Mark Levine’s comment that he may invest some city pension-fund cash in Israeli debt is a half-truth that disguises an ugly lie.
New York City doesn’t make direct purchases of other countries’ bonds, but it has billions invested in bond funds that include significant holdings in foreign nations’ debt.
The city holds “millions in sovereign debt in several other countries, through our asset managers,” Levine’s office confirms.
It’s only Mamdani’s latest dodge; his first day in office, he canceled a pack of Mayor Eric Adams’ executive orders with a story about how they were tainted by his federal prosecution; in fact, that was pseudo-legalese cover so the new administration can adopt anti-Israel Boycott, Disinvest, Sanction policies.
He pretends to be consummately rational, when he’s actually so biased it’s a wonder he doesn’t topple over.
During the transition, after protesters mobbed an Upper East Side synagogue, blocking the entrance and screaming at congregants, Mamdani’s spokesperson issued a bland statement blaming the victims as well as the perps: The then-mayor-elect “believes every New Yorker should be free to enter a house of worship without intimidation,” but “these sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law.”
What activities in violation of international law? The synagogue was hosting an informational session about moving to Israel, which the protesters characterized as a “sale of stolen land.”
No land was for sale at the event, and even if some had been, it’s not up to mayors to interpret international law, much less enforce it: All hizzoner need worry about is police protection of a house of worship, period.
The same overstep underlies Mamdani’s vows to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu when he comes to town, in defiance of US law; it’s just a skin of justification for what he’s already decided to do.
The word games may let the mayor’s fans pretend he’s being neutral, but the dishonesty only adds to the fears of those who distrust him.
And building a reputation for telling transparent lies about your policies can only undermine everything you hope to do.
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