Zohran Mamdani & Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)

Zohran Mamdani, who graduated from Bowdoin College in 2014, was a co-founder of the SJP chapter at the school. The record of the SJP student movement is rife with pro-terror activism and other forms of anti-Israel and anti-American extremism. In this post, we will offer a concise and sourced demonstration of the nature of the SJP movement and individual SJP chapters in New York City specifically.

National SJP acts as a central coordinating and ideological body, setting the agenda for individual SJP chapters, on college campuses and providing them with resources and guidance. In the immediate aftermath of the October 7 massacre, National SJP distributed a document to its activists titled “Day of Resistance Toolkit.” This document offers us a glimpse into the ideology and character of the SJP movement. In the introduction of the document, National SJP describes the events of October 7, in which hundreds of Israeli civilians were murdered, as “a historic win for the Palestinian resistance” and concludes with a message of support to Hamas: “glory to our resistance, to our martyrs, and to our steadfast people.” In the Messaging & Framing section, SJP urges activists to “normalize the resistance,” characterizing the events of October 7 as “natural and justified.” In 2011, Zohran Mamdani’s father, Columbia University Professor Mahmood Mamdani, delivered the keynote address at the first-ever national SJP conference, suggesting deep generational ties between the Mamdani family and SJP.

Template graphic from SJP's Day of Resistance toolkit glamorazing Hamas paragliders

In line with the messaging of National SJP, individual SJP chapters on campus also expressed support for Hamas in the days after October 7. In a statement issued on October 9, Columbia SJP wrote, “Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine stands in full solidarity with the Palestinian resistance,” and condemned an email sent by a university official for accurately describing October 7 as an act of terror. A joint statement by CUNY SJP chapters dated October 10 reads: “The resistance has shown us that true dignity and strength can be demonstrated in the face of an occupying force, providing a sense of empowerment.”

More recently, following the Israeli-American strikes on Iran, NYC SJP, a coalition of SJP chapters in New York City, posted a statement on Instagram condemning the attack on the regime in Iran which they describe as “one of the last powers of resistance in the Middle East” while also rejecting “the anti-war positionality of the liberal political establishment,” making it clear they support the Iranian regime over the United States and Israel rather than simply being opposed to the recent escalation.

Threatening message against the United States and Israel shared by National SJP on X following strikes on Iran

As of May 2024, Zohran Mamdani still associates himself with the SJP movement. In a recorded statement shared by Bowdoin SJP on Instagram, Mamdani presented himself as a former SJP organizer and urged students at his alma mater to vote yes on a divestment referendum put forward by the chapter. Recent anti-Zionist terrorist attacks, most notably the firebombing of Jewish Governor Shapiro’s residence, the Capital Jewish Museum shooting, and the attack in Boulder, all demonstrate the danger that antisemitic movements openly supportive of terrorism pose to the Jewish community. As a leader in such a movement, which also has a significant presence in New York City, Zohran Mamdani is uniquely unsuitable to lead the city with the largest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel at these challenging times.