New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani came under fire for a “staged performance” after posting a video for Hanukkah.
The Democratic Socialist sparked heated backlash online as X users called out his antisemitic rhetoric while he shared a Hanukkah video that included actor Mandy Patinkin and his family. Mamdani was seen in the video taking part in candlelighting and other traditions in what many blasted as a contrived video.
“It was such a joy to celebrate Hanukkah with Mandy, Kathryn and their son, Gideon,” Mamdani wrote in the post he shared over the weekend, which has, as of this writing, garnered over 1.4 million views.
“As Jewish New Yorkers across our city prepare to light candles and mark the seventh night today, I wish you and your families a Hanukkah full of light and love,” he added.
It was such a joy to celebrate Hanukkah with Mandy, Kathryn and their son, Gideon. As Jewish New Yorkers across our city prepare to light candles and mark the seventh night today, I wish you and your families a Hanukkah full of light and love. pic.twitter.com/GOxL8Jl5wf
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) December 20, 2025
“This is a new beginning that we in this family are incredibly grateful for, the city is grateful for, the world is grateful for, ” Patinkin, who is best known as Inigo Montoya in the hit film “The Princess Bride,” gushed in the video with Mamdani.
Mamdani has previously come under fire for not condemning the chant “globalize the intifada,” and has been criticized for his anti-Israel rhetoric. He accused Israel of waging a “genocidal” war as he marked the second anniversary of the October 7 Hamas terror attack.
“This must end. The occupation and apartheid must end,” the Queens assemblyman wrote at the time. “Peace must be pursued through diplomacy, not war crimes, and our government must act to end these atrocities and hold those responsible to account.”
My statement on the two year anniversary of October 7, 2023. pic.twitter.com/JlsXUeAeYd
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) October 7, 2025
Meanwhile, Patinkin has blamed the Gaza war on Jews in what many called out as shilling for the Palestinian terror organization, Hamas.
“We’re not fooled, Zohran! You were raised by an actress, and you posed with an actor, and you both delivered a script. Of course, you wouldn’t visit an ordinary Jewish family’s home,” one X user wrote in response to the mayor-elect’s video post. “This is another shameful staged performance.”
“As I have stated multiple times, Zohran is going to spend the next four years elevating the voices of anti-Israel Jewish activists and shaping the narrative that their views are mainstream,” writer Jason Curtis Anderson wrote in another post. “His path to attack Israel is through Gracie Mansion.”
“Chanukah is about Jewish sovereignty over the Jewish homeland, something that both Zohran Mamdani and Mandy Patinkin actively fight against,” political columnist Moshe Hill commented.
While some X users thought the video clip was “beautiful” and “heartwarming,” plenty of others were not buying what Mamdani was selling.
This year, @ZohranKMamdani is forgoing his traditional mocking of the Jews on Hanukkah, and is instead mocking the ignorance of the Patinkins in them welcoming Zohran into their home as his props for a video.
Why not just re-post your video from last year, Mr. @NYCMayor-elect? https://t.co/UYDShofUKy pic.twitter.com/FZ6QQ3NXmU
— SCOOCH דוד (@david_sivella) December 20, 2025
Even though Mamdani tries to hide his true colors, the “globalize the intifada,” antisemitic, and racist con man fools no one. https://t.co/EjjklbRWYx
— Beach49r (@beach49r) December 20, 2025
Stomach churning
And I used to be a Mandy fan— Leslie Young 🎗️ (@AkaLazarus) December 21, 2025
This has “I’m not anti-semitic, some of my best friends are Jews” vibes.
— Eric Rambles (@EricsRambles) December 20, 2025
Zionism is dated to the time of the Bible, so yes it is ancient.
And Hanukkah recalls the story of the Maccabees who defended, reclaimed, and rededicated the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, before Jesus time.
This is clearly political propaganda.
Mamdani is Anti Israel, and his…
— Ana חַנָּה 🤍🇮🇱 (@ForeverIsrael7) December 20, 2025
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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