NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani At 2023 Democratic Socialists Of America (DSA) Convention: The Core Of My Politics Has Always Been The Struggle For Palestinian Liberation, Ever Since Co-Founding My School’s Students For Justice In Palestine
On August 4, 2023, New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who was a New York State Assemblyman at the time, delivered the keynote speech at the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) convention in Chicago. Mamdani spoke about co-founding his school’s first chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), saying that the core of his politics has always been the struggle for Palestinian liberation and that he struggled to bring a sense of coherence between this and the future politics of New York City. He said he was drawn to the DSA because of its endorsement of BDS and its sincerity in adhering to socialist politics.
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“I Began My Journey In Organizing In Politics By Co-Founding My School’s First Students For Justice In Palestine (SJP); The Struggle For Palestinian Liberation Was At The Core Of My Politic And Continues To Be”; Jokes: If You Don’t Clap, You’re A Zionist
Zohran Mamdani: “I recall, in 2017, when I was working on the Khader El-Yateem for city council, a campaign which changed my life. I remember, we can clap for Khader El-Yateem. If you don’t clap for El-Yateem, you’re a Zionist. That’s a joke, you don’t have to clap.
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“I was somebody who began my journey in organizing in politics by co-founding my school’s first Students for Justice in Palestine. The struggle for Palestinian liberation was at the core of my politics and continues to be. And so I struggled to find a home in New York City. That can bring that politics in a sense of coherence with the politics I felt around the future of New York City.
Democratic Socialists Of America (DSA) Won Me Over By Endorsing BDS
“And here was this organization that endorsed BDS. Something which so many organizations which were composed of Muslims were struggling to do at the time. And so I found this organization. What won me over was the sincerity of it. It was that sincerity that we mean what we say. When we say we have a socialist politic, it is consistent, it is universal, and it stands for justice in every place with no exception.
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“It is why I introduced legislation. To ensure that we stop the subsidization of war crimes in Israel and Occupied Territories. It all comes back to that sincerity. It all comes back to knowing that I am member of an organization that means what it says, that delivers on its promises.
[…]
“So with that, I say sincerity forever, solidarity forever, and socialism forever.”
