Fact check: Zohran Mamdani bill targets NY synagogues funding Israeli settlers

1. Summary of the results

The analyses confirm that Zohran Mamdani did introduce legislation targeting New York nonprofits that fund Israeli settlement activities. The bill, known as S606 or the "Not on Our Dime" act, was co-sponsored with State Senator Jabari Brisport and backed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ^[1]. The legislation specifically targets not-for-profit corporations that engage in unauthorized support of Israeli settlement activity and allows for civil penalties and private right of action for violations ^[2].

Multiple sources confirm that the bill would affect Jewish organizations and nonprofits, including those supporting groups like ZAKA and Hatzalah that are linked to Israeli settlements ^{[3] [4]}. The legislation aims to prevent tax-exempt donations from subsidizing violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank ^[1].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original statement lacks several important contextual elements:

• The bill's broader scope: While the statement focuses on synagogues, the actual legislation targets all not-for-profit corporations, not specifically religious institutions ^[2]. The bill would ban Jewish nonprofits from raising money for various groups linked to Israeli settlements, which extends beyond just synagogues ^[4].
• Mamdani's political background: The analyses reveal that Mamdani is a known critic of Israel who supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement ^[5]. This context is crucial for understanding the motivation behind the legislation.
• Specific organizations affected: The bill would impact support for organizations like ZAKA (emergency response volunteers) and Hatzalah (emergency medical services), as well as families of terror victims and units of the Israel Defense Forces ^[3].
• Political support: The legislation has backing from prominent progressive politicians like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, indicating broader political support within certain Democratic circles ^[1].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement contains a misleading emphasis by specifically highlighting "synagogues" when the legislation actually targets all nonprofits engaged in the specified activities ^[2]. This framing could be seen as either:

• Sensationalizing the religious angle to generate more controversy
• Downplaying the bill's broader scope by focusing only on religious institutions rather than the full range of affected organizations

The statement also lacks context about who would benefit from this narrative. Pro-Palestinian advocacy groups and BDS supporters would benefit from legislation that restricts funding to Israeli settlement activities, while pro-Israel organizations and Jewish community groups would oppose such measures as targeting their charitable activities and community support networks.

The framing omits that the bill targets organizations providing humanitarian services like emergency medical response (Hatzalah) and disaster relief (ZAKA), which could be viewed as essential community services rather than direct settlement support ^{[3] [4]}.