Actor and comedian Michael Rapaport sharply criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a Jewish gathering held outside Gracie Mansion on Friday.
“Zohran the moron is the most divisive mayor in the history of this city by far,” Rapaport said. “He’s a two-bit con man.”
Rapaport also alleged that the mayor’s wife is “an antisemite,” “a racist” and “a homophobic.”
Michael Rapaport visits the SiriusXM Studios on March 31, 2026 in New York City. (Noam Galai/Getty Images)
Mamdani’s office responded Friday to a request for comment from News Media by pointing to comments the mayor made earlier in the week when he was asked about the planned gathering.
“I welcome them,” Mamdani said. “They can have a vigil, or I’ve heard some describe it even as a protest.”
Whatever the event “is intended to be,” Mamdani said, those attending have “the room and space to do so outside of Gracie Mansion.”
“I think that at the time that they are there I will probably be somewhere else across the city,” he said.
Rapaport said he is “absolutely considering running for mayor,” while also leaving open the possibility of supporting another contender whom he believes would have “a better chance of winning.” New York City’s next mayoral election is scheduled for 2029.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a news conference to announce a lawsuit challenging the federal government’s new public charge rule, which could make it harder for immigrants to obtain green cards if they rely on public benefits, at City Hall in New York City on Sept. 14, 2026. (ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images)
Rabbi Binyamin Krauss, principal of SAR Academy, a Modern Orthodox school in New York City, explained the plans for the gathering in a piece published by The Times of Israel.
“On Friday morning, students from SAR, Ramaz, and a number of other schools will stand on East 88th Street and daven. They’ll sing. A few of them will speak. Then they’ll get back on the buses and return to class, two days before Yom Kippur,” Krauss wrote.
“Here’s what we want students to learn in the three periods this costs: you belong in this city, and when Jews feel unsafe we gather, and we pray, out loud. We express both our vulnerability and our agency at the same time. Showing up is a civic act, one the Constitution protects and one they’ll need for the rest of their lives,” he noted. “Our students love this city and they love Israel, and they don’t see a contradiction.”
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There were also individuals who appeared to be Jewish counter-protesters expressing anti-Israel sentiments near the gathering on Friday. They could be seen with a sign with the messages, “Mayor Mamdani A Friend of Jews While Opposing Israeli Crimes” and, “Anti-Zionism Is NOT Anti-Semitism.”