Know Your Enemy Zohran, the Jews, and Reckoning with Gaza (w/ Peter Beinart)
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Nov 11, 2025 
Peter Beinart, a renowned journalist and author, shares his insights on the complexities of Jewish identity and Israel-Palestine dynamics. He discusses the significant cultural implications of Zohran Mamdani's mayoral victory amidst rising Islamophobia. Beinart critiques mainstream Jewish institutions for their responses to anti-Muslim rhetoric and emphasizes the need for solidarity across communities. He also explores the dehumanization of Palestinians in media narratives and reflects on Judaism's balance between universal justice and particular communal love.
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Mamdani's Victory As A Global‑South Moment
- Zohran Mamdani invoked Nehru in his victory speech and celebrated his mother's sari as a symbol of New York's global-South connections.
- Peter Beinart found this deeply moving and saw it as evidence of a new, plural political culture in the city.
Zionism's Colonial Roots Matter Today
- Many founding Zionists explicitly framed Zionism in settler‑colonial terms, seeing it as parallel to European colonial projects.
- Beinart argues acknowledging that history reframes Israeli policies as imperial rather than merely defensive.
Refusing To Hide One's Faith
- Mamdani publicly embraced his Muslim identity during the campaign, refusing advisors' counsel to downplay it.
- Beinart compared that civic religious openness to what he loves about New York and Jewish public life.
