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- By Shivangi Sharma
- Wed, 31 Dec 2025 09:04 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
New York mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani has triggered political controversy after appointing Ramzi Kassem, a civil rights lawyer and law professor at the City University of New York (CUNY), as his top legal advisor. Mamdani announced the decision on social media, describing Kassem as a lawyer dedicated to defending people “too often abandoned by our legal system.”
“Welcome to A New Era, Ramzi Kassem!” Mamdani wrote on X, praising Kassem’s work representing immigrants and students detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through a legal clinic he co-founded.
The appointment quickly drew scrutiny due to Kassem’s past legal work. He previously represented Ahmed al-Darbi, an associate of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who was convicted for orchestrating the 2002 attack on a French oil tanker off Yemen’s coast. Critics argue that this association raises serious concerns about judgment at the highest levels of city governance.
Supporters counter that Kassem’s role was strictly legal, underscoring the principle that all defendants are entitled to representation under the rule of law.
Anti-Israel Activism And Campus Controversies
Kassem has also been a prominent figure in debates over Israel and campus activism. In 2025, he represented Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and leading figure in pro-Palestinian protests against Israel’s war in Gaza. The Trump administration had labelled Khalil a national security threat, intensifying the political backlash.
Kassem’s past writings have further fueled criticism. In a 2000 column, he argued that Israel had no internationally recognised right to defend Jewish settlers in parts of the occupied West Bank. After the September 11 attacks, he also wrote that the attackers were motivated by resentment toward US foreign policy rather than “intrinsic evil.”
Republican leaders seized on the appointment to attack Mamdani. Lawmaker Elise Stefanik previously urged CUNY to discipline or dismiss Kassem, claiming his activism contributed to antisemitism on campuses. Others noted that Kassem served as a senior immigration policy advisor during former President Joe Biden’s administration.