Alan Dershowitz calls Jewish Mamdani voters 'self-haters' in radio interview

Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz ignited controversy by stating that any Jewish person voting for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is a "self-hater."

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Any Jew who votes for [New York City Mayor Zorhan] Mamdani is a self-hater.

Dershowitz made these remarks during a Friday interview on Zev Brenner’s Talkline Network radio broadcast, where he discussed Mamdani and local politics. The comments stemmed from a controversy over Mamdani's decision not to appoint any Jewish lawyers to a judicial commission. Dershowitz, who is Jewish, expressed strong criticism of Mamdani's administration, labeling him, his wife, and his father as antisemitic and bigoted.

Expressing deep frustration with Jewish residents who voted for Mamdani in several New York City neighborhoods, Dershowitz invoked historical parallels. "Seven thousand Jews voted for Adolf Hitler in 1932," he said, adding, "most of them ended up in the gas chambers." He characterized these voters as "idiot Jews" who are unaware of their own interests.

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We know he’s an antisemite, we know his wife is an antisemite, we know his father has had all kinds of problems with Jews as well. So, look, he’s a bigot.

Dershowitz argued that members of the Jewish community cannot support a political figure who he claims "marginalizes Jews, discriminates against Jews, hates Israel, [and] calls Israel a genocidal state falsely." He asserted that "no self-respecting Jews" would act in a way that undermines the community's safety and collective interests.

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Seven thousand Jews voted for Adolf Hitler in 1932... and most of them ended up in the gas chambers.

During the interview, Dershowitz also addressed Mamdani's rhetoric regarding the potential arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to New York for the UN General Assembly. Dershowitz stated that any such interference would violate federal law, though he acknowledged Mamdani's political maneuvering. He concluded by emphasizing the need for the Jewish community to focus on long-term structural organization, including schools, yeshivas, rabbis, and local organizations, rather than solely on Election Day mobilization.

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These idiot Jews” who voted for Mamdani “have no idea what they’re doing.