New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has tapped an antisemitic lawyer who once defended an al-Qaeda terrorist to serve as his chief counsel.
Ramzi Kassem, who was on Mamdani’s transition team but will begin as his chief counsel on Jan. 1, previously helped defend al-Qaeda member Ahmed al-Darbi, according to Fox News.
“Kassem served as lead counsel in al-Darbi’s defense,” the network notes. “In 2014, al-Darbi pled guilty before a U.S. military commission to conspiracy in connection with an al-Qaeda terrorist plot to bomb the French oil tanker MV Limburg off the coast of Yemen.”
“One civilian was killed in the attack, and several others were injured. He was convicted of the crime in 2017 and was transferred by the Trump administration in 2018 to Saudi Arabia’s custody,” the reporting continues.
Welcome to A New Era, Ramzi Kassem!
Ramzi Kassem joins the administration from the City University of New York School of Law, where he co-founded and now co-directs CLEAR (Creating Law Enforcement Accountability & Responsibility), which has been on the front lines of providing… pic.twitter.com/KmDmYGFTbg
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) December 31, 2025
Kassem celebrated al-Darbi’s transfer to Saudi Arabian custody.
“While it may not make him whole, my hope is that repatriation at least marks the end of injustice for Ahmed,” he said at the time, bemoaning the “16 long and painful years in captivity” his terrorist friend had endured.
Kassem later helped defend Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian Columbia University protester who was detained by Trump administration immigration officials this year.
Kassem formerly worked at the CUNY School of Law, where he ran the Creating Law Enforcement Accountability and Responsibility (CLEAR) legal clinic.
According to The Times of Israel, while at the clinic, he “advised some of the most hardline anti-Zionist activist groups in the city,” including, of course, Khalil and his allies.
The Washington Examiner notes that he once also “wrote a letter to the editor of the Columbia Spectator newspaper criticizing a sandwich named the ‘Israeli wrap’ for being offensive to Muslims and Arabs.”
And he’s apparently an advocate AGAINST the two-state solution between Israel and Gaza, which he’s called “not viable.”
Despite Kassem’s disturbing record, Mamdani was quick to praise him.
“The rule of law is the bedrock of good governance, effective leadership, and a city that works for working people,” he said in a statement.
“With Steve Banks and Ramzi Kassem as my Corporations and Chief Counsel, our City will not only operate in accordance with the law, but will understand and employ it as a critical tool in the fight for working people and to protect their safety and fundamental freedoms,” he added.
“My sincere hope is that New Yorkers who have long felt on the margins of this city, the homeless veteran straining to survive, the patient searching for the care that they need, an immigrant trying to get by, will feel that they now have leaders in their corner who understand their struggles and care to fight for them,” he concluded.
Kassem says he returned after 9/11 to defend Al Qaeda detainees. He recently defended Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian terrorist sympathizer flagged for deportation on national security grounds.
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) December 31, 2025
Kassem responded by calling it a “privilege” and “duty” to work for Mamdani.
“As the federal government threatens to undermine civil rights and the rule of law, our city will be on the front lines,” he said.
“We will not allow fear, cruelty, or authoritarianism to take root in our city. As Chief Counsel to the Mayor, my top priority will be to help ensure that all New Yorkers, without exception, can thrive here, in safety and dignity,” he added.
Kassem’s appointment to his key role is not likely to sit well with local Jews, according to Democrat political operative Ken Frydman.
“Kassem’s appointment to corp counsel wouldn’t sit well with the Jewish community,” he previously told the New York Post. “Everyone’s entitled to legal representation…even Mahmoud Khalil. But that doesn’t mean Ramzi Kassem had to represent him.”
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V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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