New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was confronted by an angry heckler while visiting Eichler's, a Judaica store in Brooklyn's Borough Park neighbourhood, ahead of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah. Stephanie Benshimol, an American-Israeli activist and founder of the group United Zionists, filmed herself shouting "Shame on you!" at the mayor, accusing him of fuelling antisemitism through his stance on the Israeli-Gaza conflict. The confrontation highlights ongoing tensions between Mamdani, a self-described socialist and vocal supporter of Palestine, and sections of New York's Jewish community since his election.

Benshimol, who says she is the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, told Mamdani he had "such chutzpah" visiting Borough Park, where her grandparents settled after the Holocaust, and accused the store of "kissing ass" to him. She also called one of the men escorting her out a "kapo", a term for Nazi camp prisoners forced to oversee others. Mamdani remained calm and did not respond as staff moved her away. The incident follows the Anti-Defamation League's earlier concerns about his "disturbing record" on Jewish community issues, and comes days after a police association urged him to skip New York's 25th anniversary 9/11 commemoration.