He drew parallels between rising antisemitism tied to anti-Israel discourse and what he described as growing unease among Hindu residents in New York.
By Shula Rosen
A Hindu American activist warned that political messaging in New York City that combines harsh attacks on foreign governments with proposals to limit policing could increase threats against religious minorities, with implications for Jewish communities amid rising antisemitism.
Speaking on The Rabbi for America Podcast, Satya Dosapati said statements by mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani that target India, Hindu leadership, and Israel risk fueling hostility that may spill beyond political debate.
Dosapati argued that such language, when paired with calls to reduce law enforcement, creates conditions in which minority communities are more vulnerable.
“When political leaders repeatedly demonize a community and then talk about defunding the police, that animosity doesn’t remain abstract,” Dosapati said. “It turns into crime.”
Dosapati, a US-based activist engaged in civic and diaspora issues connected to India and the United States, said Hindu Americans are increasingly attentive to how international rhetoric affects local safety.
He drew parallels between rising antisemitism tied to anti-Israel discourse and what he described as growing unease among Hindu residents in New York.
Mamdani has publicly labeled Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “war criminal” and compared him to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom the mayor-elect threatened to have arrested if he should travel to New York.
“You attack our country and our leadership, then pivot and say you’re really just talking about affordability,” Dosapati said. “That same playbook has already been used against Jews.”
The podcast’s host, Rabbi Daniel Schonbuch, pointed to New York’s own history to caution against weakening law enforcement. He cited the 1991 Crown Heights riots as an example of how quickly tensions can escalate when public order breaks down.
“When leaders signal that policing will be restrained, minority communities suffer first,” Schonbuch said.
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