Mamdani’s College Writings Push Anti-Israel Boycott, Challenge White Privilege

Zohran Mamdani, the socialist candidate shaking up New York City’s mayoral race, penned college newspaper articles that reveal his early firebrand views, championing an anti-Israel boycott and critiquing white privilege with sharp conviction, a recent review uncovered.

During his time at Bowdoin College from 2010 to 2014, Mamdani wrote 32 pieces for the Bowdoin Orient. In his senior year, he advocated for an academic boycott of Israel, arguing it would pressure Israeli institutions to end what he described as an oppressive occupation and racist policies in Palestine. As co-founder of his college’s Students for Justice in Palestine, Mamdani challenged Bowdoin’s president for opposing the boycott, noting the lack of acknowledgment of Palestinian struggles in academic discourse.

In a 2013 op-ed, Mamdani tackled white privilege, responding to a peer’s dismissal of critiques about the school’s predominantly white editorial pages. He argued that white males dominate media and societal narratives, perpetuating structural privilege that shapes perceptions of authority. He called out the pervasive male whiteness in discourse, linking it to systemic inequities in housing, education, and civil rights.

Studying abroad in Egypt during the Muslim Brotherhood’s upheaval, Mamdani reflected on his identity. Growing a beard as a defiant gesture against stereotypes of brown individuals as terrorists, he noted a shift in privilege dynamics in Cairo, where his appearance granted him a sense of belonging. Back at Bowdoin, he lamented the school’s complacency with its diversity efforts, sharing personal experiences of racial isolation, from correcting mispronunciations to navigating stereotypes about his appearance.

Mamdani’s recent primary win has sparked a Democratic Party divide, with moderates wary of his far-left policies—like city-run grocery stores and defunding the police—while progressives, backed by figures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, rally behind him. In a heavily Democratic city, Mamdani stands as the frontrunner for mayor.