NYPD Commissioner Tisch's brother calls Mamdani 'enemy' of Jewish people at charity dinner, sources say

Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News on Dec 4, 2025

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NEW YORK — NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch’s brother called Zohran Mamdani an “enemy” of the Jewish people during a private charity dinner Wednesday night — a slam that comes on the heels of the incoming mayor’s decision to retain Tisch as the city’s top cop, two sources with direct knowledge of the comment told the Daily News.

Benjamin Tisch, the younger brother of the NYPD commissioner as well as the CEO of the Loews Corporation, took the shot at Mamdani while delivering remarks at an annual charity gala hosted by the Met Council, a nonprofit dedicated to combating Jewish poverty.

A source who attended the gala hosted at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Columbus Circle said some in the crowd were taken aback by Tisch’s comment, given that his sister just accepted Mamdani’s offer to remain NYPD commissioner once he’s sworn in as mayor Jan. 1.

“It was just like ‘wow, he’s actually going to go there,'” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

A rep for Benjamin Tisch didn’t immediately return a request for comment Thursday. A rep for Commissioner Tisch declined to comment, as did a spokeswoman for Mamdani.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist who’s set to become the city’s first Muslim mayor, has been a staunch supporter of Palestinian rights for most of his professional life. He has also been a persistent critic of the Israeli government and its treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, a theme he has been especially vocal about since Israel launched its war in Gaza in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 terror attack.

Mamdani has been accused of fostering antisemitism by espousing certain views, such as questioning the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state. He has vehemently denied being antisemitic.

Benjamin Tisch’s comment came just days after Marc Rowan, the CEO of Apollo Global Management, called Mamdani “our enemy” while delivering a speech at another Jewish charity gala Monday night.

During the 2025 mayoral race, members of Tisch’s extended family donated more than $1 million to super PACs that advocated against Mamdani and boosted ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s campaign. Jessica Tisch herself did not donate to any candidates in the race.

Benjamin Tisch’s shot at Mamdani during the Met Council gala comes two weeks after his sister accepted Mamdani’s offer to remain at the helm of the NYPD.

First appointed police commissioner by Mayor Eric Adams in November 2024, Jessica Tisch is on the record as opposing a number of Mamdani’s public safety proposals, including his call for disbanding the NYPD’s controversial Strategic Response Group.

Mamdani has argued their disagreements are a good thing.

“The two of us will not shy away from the fact that we hold disagreements on certain issues … but I also believe that these disagreements are not only reconcilable, but they are the sign of a healthy partnership to come,” the mayor-elect said in an interview with The News last month.