New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani visited the Ohel of the Lubavitcher Rebbe on Monday at the Old Montefiore Cemetery in Queens.

Mamdani, who was recently warmly embraced by members of the Satmar Chassidic community, was seen wearing a black velvet yarmulka as he stood inside the Ohel. The visit comes as the mayor-elect has been making outreach efforts to Jewish leaders amid growing scrutiny of his past and currrent rhetoric.

Known for his pro-Hamas stance and repeated anti-Israel statements, Mamdani has, since his election, sought to reassure Jewish community leaders that he intends to stand with them and address their concerns.

The visit was first reported by Jacob Kornbluh of The Forward. Also present at the Ohel was Crown Heights community activist Yaacov Behrman.

“Mamdani visited the Ohel of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in Queens this evening to pay his respects to the victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack,” Kornbluh reported. “Mamdani also made a private prayer at the grave.”

Mamdani refuses to acknowledge the right of Israel to exist, has promised to arrest Prime Minister Netanyahu if he visits NYC, and has chanted “Globalize the Intifada” for years. He has never backed down from any of his antisemitic rhetoric. “Globalize the Intifada” is what caused the Bondi Beach massacre. It also caused Lubavitcher Bochrim to be assaulted on the NYC subway last night.

The Bondi Beach terror attack targeted a Chanukah celebration organized by Chabad Shluchim in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday. Sixteen people were murdered in the attack, including Chabad Rabbis Eli Schlanger and Yaakov Levitan.

In the aftermath of the massacre, Mamdani issued a statement referring to the perpetrators as “men with long guns,” notably avoiding any reference to Islamist terrorism — a choice of words that drew sharp criticism and renewed concern within parts of the Jewish community.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)