Mamdani under fire for silence on harrowing antisemitic NYC subway attack: ‘No leadership’

Mayor Zohran Mamdani came under fire Thursday for failing to denounce the disgusting antisemitic attack of a Big Apple nurse on the subway — which came as the city saw a shocking 70% spike in anti-Jewish crimes.

Hizzoner was ripped by religious advocates and some fellow local pols for his silence after a 23-year-old Jewish woman was assaulted Sunday on a C train by a raging sicko who shouted “Jews are eating kids” at her and ripped out a chunk of her hair.

“Four days after a deranged antisemitic woman on the NYC subway brutally harassed and assaulted a Jewish girl ripping out her hair while screaming medieval blood libels like ‘Jews are eating kids,’ Mayor Zohran Mamdani has remained silent,” said Moshe Spern, a public school educator and the head of the advocacy group United Jewish Teachers.

“No statement. No condemnation. No leadership.”

Video of the hateful attack circulated on social media in the aftermath of the incident, showing the suspect — identified by cops as 45-year-old Bronx resident Diana Smith — spouting off the deranged comments about Jewish people as she came face-to-face with the victim.

“I was a ragdoll and I couldn’t defend myself — there should have been a human barricade around me,” the young Orthodox Jewish victim, who asked that her name be withheld, told The Post on Wednesday, recalling how the attacker yanked out her hair and shoved her to the ground.

Smith, whom law enforcement sources said has a history of mental illness, is facing hate crime charges, including for assault, according to the NYPD.

The attack came as the NYPD reported a 74.4% increase in hate crimes overall in May compared to the same month last year — with crimes against Jews individually spiking 70.8%, from 24 to 41.

Anti-Muslim hate crimes also rose 66.7%, from three in May 2025 to five reported last month, according to the police data.

But Mamdani ignored a Post reporter’s question about the spike in hate crimes as he left a press conference about World Cup preparations Thursday morning.

Jewish Community Relations Council of New York CEO Mark Treyger called the NYPD data “sobering” and the subway assault “an attack on the very values that define New York City” — as he demanded public officials do more to protect their constituents.

“We are grateful for the work of the NYPD, but this crisis requires more than good police work,” he said in a statement.

“It requires leaders to do their part to lower the temperature, because words matter. Actions matter. Equivocations matter,” Treyger added, without naming Mamdani.

Queens Councilwoman Joann Ariola, a Republican, said “a lot of people who feel more unsafe than ever.”

“When leaders speak about human rights, let us ensure that we are first protecting human rights here at home, including the rights, dignity, and safety of Jewish New Yorkers,” he said.

“New York needs strong and inclusive leadership now more than ever.”

Spern added: “When the city’s leader can’t even speak out against raw antisemitic violence invoking the darkest libels of the past, it signals to every hater that such cruelty is tolerable in New York.”

“This year alone we’ve already seen 152 hate crimes against Jewish New Yorkers, and no matter how much the mayor wants to ignore what’s happening, this is a problem that’s only going to get worse unless a strong message is sent to control it,” she told The Post.

When asked what the city was doing to combat the surge in hate crimes, including the subway attack, City Hall provided a statement from Phylisa Wisdom, the executive director of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism.

“The increase in antisemitic hate crimes is deeply troubling, and it underscores the urgent need to redouble our commitment to tackling antisemitism in all its forms,” Wisdom said.

“The Mamdani administration has increased funding for hate crime prevention efforts by more than 800 percent, and will continue working closely with Jewish communities, interfaith partners, advocacy organizations, and law enforcement to ensure that Jewish New Yorkers can live, worship, and participate in public life free from violence, intimidation, and harassment.”

The Mamdani administration has upped funding for the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes from $3 million to $26 million in its proposed budget for next fiscal year.

It’s unclear how much of the money is dedicated toward combatting antisemitism, specifically.

Mamdani recently also faced outrage from Jewish advocates for being the first mayor in 62 years to skip the Israel Day Parade, which took place Sunday, choosing instead to go for a bike ride.

Hizzoner said he wasn’t attending because he disagrees with the Israeli government, but vowed to celebrate the Jewish community in other ways and keep them safe. 

Critics pointed out the parade was a celebration of the Jewish faith, not just of Israel, and called him out for politicizing it.