NEW YORK (VINnews) — Rabbi Zalman Leib Teitelbaum, the Satmar Rebbe of Williamsburg, sharply criticized attacks against New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and warned that labeling the mayor an antisemite could create unnecessary tensions between Jews and the broader society.

Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum, who died in 1979 and is buried in Kiryas Joel, rebuilt the Satmar Hasidic community in the United States after the Holocaust and became one of the most influential leaders of the postwar Orthodox Jewish world.

Addressing what he described as growing tensions in New York, Rabbi Zalman Leib Teitelbaum said some Orthodox Jews were engaging in what he called “provocation against the nations” by attacking the mayor.

He urged observant Jews living in the United States to conduct themselves according to Torah principles and recognize the responsibilities of living in exile.

Citing the biblical instruction of the prophet Jeremiah to Jews living in exile to seek the welfare of the cities where they reside, Teitelbaum said religious Jews should accept the circumstances of exile and act accordingly.

He then specifically addressed the campaign to portray Mamdani as an antisemite.

“By attacking the mayor and labeling him an antisemite, they are increasing the real provocation against the nations,” Teitelbaum said, according to a recording of his remarks.

He also warned against transferring tensions surrounding Israel into the United States, saying that disputes taking place in Israel should not lead to confrontation between American Jews and the government.

The remarks come as both major Satmar factions — the Williamsburg-based Zalunim and the Kiryas Joel-based Aronim — have developed notably close relationships with Mamdani, despite the mayor’s controversial positions on Israel and the concerns raised by many Jewish New Yorkers.

The two Satmar factions have emphasized engagement with Mamdani and maintaining a working relationship with the incoming mayor, a strategy that has drawn questions and criticism from some other members of New York’s Jewish community.

Mamdani, a Muslim progressive and outspoken critic of Israel, has faced scrutiny from Jewish organizations and political figures over his past statements and positions on Israel, the war in Gaza and antisemitism.

The Satmar leadership’s approach has instead focused heavily on the interests of the Orthodox Jewish community in New York, including maintaining access to government officials and protecting the community’s ability to operate its religious schools and institutions.

Teitelbaum’s remarks did not amount to an endorsement of Mamdani’s political positions. Rather, he focused on how religious Jews should conduct themselves toward the government and wider society while living in the United States.

The Satmar movement has a longstanding anti-Zionist religious position and teaches that Jews should live according to Torah while awaiting the redemption. Its leaders have also historically emphasized maintaining peaceful relations with the governments under which Jewish communities live.

The relationship between Satmar leaders and Mamdani has nevertheless become an increasingly visible political issue, particularly as other Jewish groups have taken a much more confrontational approach toward the mayor.

Rabbi Zalman Leib Teitelbaum leads the Williamsburg faction of Satmar, while Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum leads the Satmar community based in Kiryas Joel. Together, the two factions represent one of the largest Hasidic populations in New York.

The latest comments from the Williamsburg Rebbe underscore the Satmar leadership’s preference for engagement and cooperation with the city’s government, even as Mamdani’s views on Israel remain deeply controversial among many Jewish New Yorkers.