121: Galactify The Intifada, with Pallavi Gunalan

Quick Overview

Zohran Mamdani's primary win for New York City mayor sparked intense backlash from Democratic politicians like Eric Adams, Hakeem Jeffries, and Kirsten Gillibrand, who falsely accused him of antisemitism, supporting Hamas, and promoting "global jihad" due to his use of "globalize the intifada," despite his clear explanations and the term's historical meaning as an uprising.

Key Points: New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's primary victory triggered immediate condemnation from prominent Democrats, including Mayor Eric Adams, who baselessly labeled him "Pro Hamas" and a supporter of "dangerous terrorist organization that should be destroyed." Congressman Hakeem Jeffries criticized Mamdani for not condemning Hamas post-October 7th and for defending "globalize the intifada," stating Mamdani "is going to have to convince folks that he is prepared to aggressively address the rise in anti-semitism." Senator Kirsten Gillibrand incorrectly claimed Mamdani referenced "global jihad" and asserted that "the global inifat is is is a statement that means destroy and destroy Israel and kill all the Jews," despite Mamdani's clarification that intifada means "uprising." The hosts highlighted that the Holocaust Museum previously used "intifada" in Arabic to describe the Warsaw Ghetto uprising until mid-2024, when they changed it to the Arabic word for "resistance." Guest Pallavi Gunalan, a stand-up comedian, shared her journey of learning about global horrors post-October 7th, noting the "self-segregating into like pro Palestine people and then like insane people" within comedy. The hosts and Gunalan criticized the politicians' rhetoric as pure Islamophobia, driven by political opportunism and donor influence (AIPAC), rather than genuine concern for Jewish constituents, especially since Mamdani won the primary with significant support. Gunalan also noted the "embarrassing" pro-fascist leanings of some Hindu Indians, including a cousin who supports Trump despite having "your own fascist" in Modi.