“It’s beyond shameful that someone who parades around as the proud granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor and calls herself a Jewish leader is staying completely silent in the face of a tyrannical wave that’s poised to overtake NYC,” said Bonsell
NEW YORK, July 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Alina Bonsell, Republican candidate for New York City Council in District 5, is calling out incumbent Democrat Julie Menin for what she describes as “shameful political silence” in the face of rising antisemitism and growing radical extremism threatening New York City.
Bonsell issued a blunt condemnation, demanding that Menin take a public stand on the inflammatory record of mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, whose ties to anti-Israel groups and refusal to condemn antisemitic slogans have drawn widespread concern.
Alina Bonsell urges action as silent Jewish leaders ignore Mamdani’s antisemitic record and NYC extremism
Alina Bonsell slams Julie Menin for silence on antisemitism, demands NYC leaders condemn Zohran Mamdani’s extremist ties and defend Jewish New Yorkers from rising hate.
“It’s beyond shameful that someone who parades around as the proud granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor and calls herself a Jewish leader for our community is staying completely silent in the face of a tyrannical wave that’s poised to overtake New York City,” said Bonsell. “Any reasonable leader would be standing up for their constituents— condemning Mamdani’s antisemitic views and defending the Jewish community. Yet Julie Menin is nowhere to be found.”
Alina Bonsell, a mother, small business owner, and longtime Upper East Side resident, immigrated to New York City from Odessa, Ukraine, as a small child with her family, just before the collapse of the Soviet Union, which at the time was a predominantly Christian country. Her parents came here chasing the American Dream, but now she sees that dream at risk. That’s why she’s running—to give back to the city that gave her family a second chance and to stop the dangerous legislation current council members won’t block because they put party loyalty ahead of doing what’s right.
Menin frequently appears at Jewish community events and has built much of her public image on her heritage—but Bonsell says those appearances are superficial. “Julie Menin loves the photo ops and the parades,” she continued. “But when it comes to defending Jewish New Yorkers from hate, she vanishes.”
New York City is home to nearly one million Jewish residents, making up approximately 12% of the city’s population. A significant portion of that community lives on the Upper East Side.
At the center of Bonsell’s criticism is Mamdani’s refusal to condemn the antisemitic slogan “Globalize the Intifada,” his longstanding ties to radical groups like Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, and his history of supporting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Mamdani is also aligned with figures such as Linda Sarsour and has received fundraising support from Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who was recently censured by Congress for inflammatory rhetoric about Israel. Most disturbing of all, Mamdani has repeatedly refused to label Hamas a terrorist organization—even after the October 7 massacre.
“This isn’t abstract policy—it’s real violence affecting real families,” said Bonsell, pointing to recent antisemitic attacks in the city, including a Jewish woman beaten on the subway for wearing religious clothing, and a 72-year-old man assaulted in Manhattan for posting flyers of Israeli hostages. “The city is under attack, and the people who claim to represent us are playing politics.”
Bonsell also referenced a recent tragic incident in Boulder, Colorado, where a firebomb attack at a Jewish solidarity event resulted in the death of an elderly Holocaust survivor. “There’s a wave of antisemitism sweeping the entire United States,” she said. “The fact that a survivor of the Holocaust could be killed in a firebombing in America should horrify every one of us. Where is Julie Menin?”
Bonsell is urging Menin to take an immediate and public stance: to condemn Mamdani’s rhetoric, denounce antisemitic language, and clarify her position on Hamas and antisemitism.
“Julie Menin is proving what many of us already know—she’s not for the people, she’s for the party,” said Bonsell. “This community deserves leaders with courage, not calculated silence. If she won’t speak up now—when it matters most—then she never will.”
More about Alina Bonsell | www.alinabonsell.com
Contact: Sara Libmann
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