By Caren Leven
As a staunch Zionist and leader in Baltimore’s Jewish community, I feel an obligation to speak out when public figures endorse candidates whose positions undermine Israel’s right to exist.
The recent endorsements by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland) of Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor deserve close scrutiny.
Mamdani is an openly anti-Zionist candidate whose rhetoric and actions are deeply troubling for anyone who cares about Israel’s survival.
A self-described democratic socialist, Mamdani has said that the Palestinian cause is “central to my identity.” He questions Israel’s right to exist unless it relinquishes its Jewish character; supports the boycott-divestment-sanctions movement; defended academic boycotts of Israeli universities; and after Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre accused Israel of committing “genocide.” In addition, he said he would arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visited New York.
Even more disturbing, Mamdani has refused to condemn the chant “globalize the intifada,” a slogan widely understood as glorifying violent uprisings against Jews and Israelis. By refusing to distance himself from rhetoric that calls for bloodshed, he shows just how extreme and dangerous his position really is.
These are not the positions of a legitimate critic. They are the words of someone who seeks to delegitimize and ultimately dismantle the Jewish state.
Sen. Van Hollen’s endorsement of Mamdani, along with his attack on fellow Democrats as “spineless” for not following suit, reveals a disturbing shift.
While he once supported Israel’s security through programs like Iron Dome, he now accuses Israel of “ethnic cleansing” and backs legislation to sanction residents of West Bank communities.
His words and actions echo the talking points of those who demonize Israel, not those who stand with it.
Rep. Raskin, a Jewish lawmaker with significant influence, has also turned to language that portrays Israel’s self-defense as immoral. He co-sponsored the Block the Bombs Act to restrict U.S. arms to Israel and called Israel’s Gaza war “unjust, immoral and futile,” warning that it threatens Israel’s very security.
When our leaders give cover to anti-Zionism, it is not leadership. It is betrayal.
When a Jewish lawmaker like Jamie Raskin endorses an anti-Zionist candidate, it is not just disappointing. It is dangerous. It tells the world that even Jewish voices will give cover to those who want to dismantle the Jewish state.
That is not leadership. That is betrayal.
The danger here is bigger than one election. When leaders with influence lend legitimacy to anti-Zionists, it normalizes hatred toward Israel and emboldens those who spread it. Our community cannot afford to look away.
Baltimore’s Jewish community has always been strong, generous, and outspoken. That strength must continue.
We must hold our elected officials accountable when they endorse candidates hostile to Israel, and we must vote according to values that defend Israel’s security and Jewish self-determination.
There is room in Jewish politics for different perspectives, but there is no room for those who deny Israel’s right to exist. The stakes are too high. We must open our eyes now, speak out, and make clear that Baltimore’s Jewish community will never stand with anti-Zionism.
Caren Leven is the executive director of the Baltimore Zionist District and can be reached at carenl@bzdisrael.org.
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