Open Letter to Global Media and to Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York City

A Call for Moral Dialogue, Truth, and Respect for Israel and Judaism

In a world flooded with misinformation, Israel and Judaism are too often defined by slogans rather than by truth. Reckless words like apartheid and colonial state distort history and endanger coexistence. As an Ethiopian-born, American-educated Israeli who proudly served the New York City government for more than twenty years, I appeal to Mayor Zohran Mamdani and to the global media to help restore honesty, balance, and conscience to this conversation.

New York represents freedom of thought and diversity of faith. Yet the recent mayoral election revealed how rapidly misinformation about Israel and Judaism can shape public perception. New York is a city where ideas meet, where differences are meant to inspire dialogue, not division. I admire and appreciate the strength of American democracy that has given you, Mayor Mamdani, the privilege to serve, and I honor the people of New York City for trusting you to lead them. Your election reflects the vitality of democratic choice and the hope that leadership can unite rather than divide. Mayor Mamdani, I congratulate you on your victory and your dedication to inclusion. But I must speak plainly: if false narratives about Israel and Judaism are not confronted now, immediately after this election, they will spread dangerously. Unchecked misinformation breeds hostility. History shows that when antisemitic or anti-Israel falsehoods take root, they rarely remain verbal; they invite real harm.

New York has always been a moral compass for the free world. Under your leadership, it can become a beacon of truth once again — by protecting free speech while demanding honest speech, and by turning disagreement into dialogue, not division.

A Call to the Global Media

To my colleagues at BBC, CNN, Fox News, and Piers Morgan Uncensored: lead with moral responsibility. Go beyond headlines and host open, fact-based conversations. Invite voices who know the reality of Israeli society: Ethiopian Jews, Druze, Arab citizens, and others who live coexistence every day.

Let those who have endured colonialism and apartheid speak from experience; they will tell you that Israel, for all its flaws, is the freest and most inclusive democracy in its region. Use your powerful platforms to educate, not inflame; to clarify, not caricature. Words can heal or they can wound and today, the world needs healing.

The Moral Debate

That is why I have launched The Moral Debate, a global educational initiative calling for honest, peaceful, and evidence-based dialogue about Israel and Judaism. It is not a political campaign but a moral movement inspired by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, who taught that “you cannot heal the world you do not hear.”

Judaism is not a religion of domination but of covenant; not of supremacy but of service. Israel is not a colonial project but a covenantal homecoming — a nation reborn from exile, carrying faith into modern democracy.

On the Arrest Statements Against Israeli Leaders

Recently, certain international bodies and media have spoken of arrest warrants or legal actions targeting Israeli government officials, including our respected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As an Israeli who has served New York City and understands both democracies well, I believe such measures are misguided and politically charged.

Israel is a nation governed by law and moral accountability. Its leaders, whatever one’s political view, are chosen by the people and held to democratic scrutiny within the nation’s own courts and institutions. To label them as war criminals without full, fair context distorts justice and weakens faith in international law itself.

Instead of condemning from afar, let us open conversations with ordinary citizens, soldiers, teachers, parents, and community leaders, who know the daily reality of Israel’s struggle to balance security with morality. The truth of Israel’s democracy lives not in courtrooms abroad but in the conscience of its people.

A Message to Mayor Mamdani

Mr. Mayor, you now lead the most diverse city in the world. I urge you to champion dialogue that enlightens rather than inflames. Condemn antisemitism wherever it appears in protests, classrooms, or policies. Show that justice and empathy can coexist. The world is watching how New York treats its Jewish and Israeli citizens at this delicate time.

True social justice is impossible without moral honesty. Real leadership requires not just passion but proportion, the willingness to see beyond slogans and seek the full story.

A Personal Reflection

As a Black Jew and proud Israeli, I have walked from Addis Ababa to New York to Jerusalem. I have seen both oppression and redemption. In Israeli hospitals, I have watched Arab and Jewish doctors save each other’s lives. In our army and our universities, I have seen diversity stronger than any division.

That is the Israel I know, imperfect yet profoundly humane. When media or politicians mislabel it, they do not merely misjudge a nation; they harm the moral fabric of truth itself.

A Final Appeal

To Mayor Mamdani, to world journalists, and to all who care about conscience: let us replace accusation with education. Include diverse voices, Black, African, Ethiopian, Jewish, Muslim, Christian — who can testify from experience rather than ideology.

If we fail to act now, falsehoods will deepen and hatred will spread. But if we lead with courage, New York can again be the world’s moral megaphone, a city that transforms debate into understanding and disagreement into dignity.

Because peace does not begin in politics; it begins in truth.

With faith and gratitude,
Dr. Shmuel Legesse
International Educator | Diplomacy Expert | Community Activist
educatordrshmuel@gmail.com
Jerusalem, Israel