NYC mayoral candidate targets Cornell Tech over Israeli partnership
A Democratic Socialist and NYC mayoral candidate called for a boycott of Cornell Tech in 2020 over its collaboration with Technion University, citing the school’s ties to the state of Israel.
Critics have condemned his comments as anti-Semitic, highlighting a broader pattern of pro-BDS activism and targeting of Jewish-affiliated institutions.
A leading New York City mayoral candidate blasted Cornell Tech’s connections to Israel, calling for the Roosevelt Island-based school to be boycotted for affiliating with the Jewish state.
Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist candidate for mayor of New York City, made the statements on a podcast after he was elected to serve a member of the New York State Assembly in 2020, according to reporting by The New York Post.
“If you were to look at the lens of BDS [Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions] and how it applies here in New York City, you would say that Cornell-Technion is something you would be talking about,” said Mamdani.
Cornell Tech collaborates with Technion University in Israel, per the school’s website.
“Technion University is an Israeli University that has helped to develop a lot of weapons technology used by the [Israel Defense Force],” continued Mamdani. “I’m sure that if we look close enough, there are either municipal subsidies or state subsidies granted to a project such as this on Roosevelt Island.”
Mark Botnick, a former staff member for New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, critiqued Mamdani’s statements as “blatant” anti-Semitism, pointing to the “myriad of lifesaving treatments and technologies developed by Israeli institutions.”
This is not the first time that Mamdani has made headlines for anti-Israel statements.
He has also stated that he will not visit Israel if elected—a move that would contravene tradition. Mamdani has also vocally expressed support for the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, according to The Times of Israel.
Cornell Tech’s collaboration with Jacobs Technion, an Israeli university, has a history of being attacked by pro-Hamas sympathizers.
For example, The Progressive reports that anti-Israel protesters occupied multiple Cornell administrative buildings with demands for Cornell Tech’s partnership with Israel to be cut.
Several NYC politicians have condemned anti-Semitic rhetoric. On May 9, a group of NYC council members co-signed a letter criticizing pro-Palestine demonstrators for a protest held at the City University of New York (CUNY).
“It is unacceptable but not surprising that almost two years after October 7th—after an investigation into CUNY and several public hearings—we are still grappling with disruptive and criminal behavior against Jewish students, encampments and masked agitators on campus,” the politicians wrote.
Campus Reform has contacted Cornell University and Zohran Mandami for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
