Zohran Mamdani said he would discourage the use of the slogan “globalize the intifada” in a roughly hourlong meeting with some of New York City’s most powerful executives on Tuesday, seeking to defuse an issue that has prompted a backlash from the business community and beyond.
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani
Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, was grilled by a room of 100-plus executives at an event hosted by the Partnership for New York City, an influential business group. The audience included finance and real-estate executives, high-powered lawyers and a handful of billionaires.
Many in attendance say they walked away impressed by the 33-year-old’s ability to work a crowd but no more comfortable with his ideas.
“It could have been a lot worse,” one attendee said.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla and Robert Speyer, CEO of real-estate firm Tishman Speyer, moderated the event, which also included questions from the audience.
Bourla, the son of Holocaust survivors, confronted Mamdani about the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which some see as a call for violence against Jews. In a response that lasted several minutes, Mamdani said that, for him, the phrase means protest against the Israeli occupation of Gaza.
He said he’s willing to discourage the specific language, but not the idea behind it.
Centerview Partners’ co-founder Blair Effron questioned Mamdani about how he would go about managing a city as big as New York. James Tisch, the CEO of Loews, asked a question about preventing repeat shoplifting offenders. Jeff Blau, the CEO of Related Cos., asked him about his beliefs on seizing private property.
Mamdani at one point said that he’s posted a lot on social media over the years and that viewpoints can change or be taken out of context. He asked the audience not to hold every old tweet against him.
Asked whether he would defund the police, Mamdani focused on his proposal to increase community mental-health services.
Others in attendance included Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and Vox Media President Pam Wasserstein.
Mamdani’s two biggest competitors, Mayor Eric Adams and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, have been racing to shore up support from the same business crowd. Last week, Adams hopped around Manhattan to raise funds from the real-estate industry. On Monday, Cuomo announced he wasn’t leaving the race and would run as an independent.
With a field that executives worry is unlikely to narrow, some are now more focused on influencing who Mamdani might include in a potential administration.
Many have applauded New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch—the daughter of James Tisch—for a drop in crime under her watch. Mamdani has said he was open to keeping Tisch in her current position. Asked about her at Tuesday’s meeting, he said he hasn’t made personnel announcements yet.
Mamdani has campaigned on promises to freeze rent in rent-stabilized buildings, offer free bus rides and open government-run grocery stores, part of a pitch to make the city more affordable. He has ramped up his outreach to the business crowd since his decisive primary win last month and recently started cold-calling finance executives.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla asked Mamdani about the phrase ‘globalize the intifada.’
Many of the top executives. including JPMorgan Chase’s Jamie Dimon and BlackRock’s Larry Fink sat out Tuesday’s meeting, though some say they are giving priority to one-on-one meetings.
The event came mere hours after Mamdani held a private breakfast meeting in Washington, D.C., with his fellow democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a longtime foe of Wall Street.
On the way to the meeting, Mamdani, who arrived in a black SUV and wore a black suit, said he planned on being “consistent and being open” to the audience. Afterward, he said he enjoyed the discussion.
“We look forward to the opportunity to build on this conversation, even in navigating disagreement on fiscal policy,” a spokesperson for the campaign said.
The Partnership for New York City counts the city’s most powerful banks, law firms, and corporations as members. The group is holding a second meeting with Mamdani on Wednesday that will cater to executives in the technology sector. It is also hosting a breakfast with Eric Adams on Thursday morning.
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