Mamdani Under Fire for "Selective Outrage" as JDL Plot Against Nerdeen Kiswani is Thwarted 

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has strongly condemned an alleged assassination plot by a member of a Jewish Defense League offshoot targeting Nerdeen Kiswani, the co-founder of the radical pro-Palestine group Within Our Lifetime, while critics accuse him of applying a double standard just weeks after an ISIS-inspired jihad bombing in the city.

Alexander Heifler (also referred to as Andrew Heifler), 26, of Hoboken, New Jersey, was arrested late Thursday night, March 27, following a joint NYPD-FBI undercover operation.

Authorities say Heifler identified as a member of the JDL 613 Brotherhood, a New Jersey-based group founded in 2024 and inspired by the original Jewish Defense League (designated by the FBI as a violent extremist organization). He allegedly planned to throw multiple Molotov cocktails at Kiswani’s Brooklyn home that same night. An undercover NYPD officer infiltrated his group chat, assisted in assembling eight Molotov cocktails, and the arrest occurred before any attack could be carried out. Heifler faces federal charges of unlawful possession and manufacturing of destructive devices.

Mamdani, New York’s first Muslim mayor and a longtime pro-Palestine advocate, issued a swift public statement framing the incident as political violence:

“A member of an offshoot of the Jewish Defense League, designated by the FBI as a ‘known violent extremist organization’ was allegedly building explosive devices to target the home of Nerdeen Kiswani in a chilling act of political violence and an apparent assassination plot. The defendant reportedly planned to flee to Israel following the attack… Let me be clear: We will not tolerate violent extremism in our city. No one should face violence for their political beliefs or their advocacy.”

Mamdani added that the plot comes “amid an alarming rise in threats and violence across the country targeting Palestinian human rights advocates.” Kiswani was notified of the threat by the FBI and later stated she was “not shocked” by the attempt.

Within Our Lifetime is one of New York’s most extreme anti-Israel protest groups. It has been widely accused by Jewish organizations and officials of glorifying Hamas, supporting the October 7 massacre, and using eliminationist slogans such as “from the river to the sea” and “globalize the intifada.”

The rapid condemnation has drawn sharp criticism from pro-Israel voices and conservative outlets, who highlight what they describe as Mamdani’s selective outrage. Just weeks earlier, on March 9, 2026, a Muslim man carried out an ISIS-inspired jihad-style bombing attempt outside Gracie Mansion during an anti-Muslim protest. The suspect threw two homemade bombs packed with shrapnel and volatile chemicals into a crowd of protesters while shouting Islamic slogans. The devices failed to fully detonate but emitted smoke and caused panic. No one was injured.

Mamdani’s response at the time focused on condemning “extremism of any kind” while emphasizing concerns about Islamophobia and “white supremacy,” drawing accusations that he downplayed the radical Islamic motive and effectively shifted blame toward the victims and broader societal tensions rather than clearly labeling it jihadist terrorism.

The contrast has fueled accusations of hypocrisy: swift, detailed condemnation and naming of “Jewish extremism” when the alleged perpetrator is Jewish and the target is a pro-Hamas activist, versus a more muted, contextualized response when the attacker is motivated by Islamist ideology.

The JDL 613 Brotherhood has not commented publicly. The case remains under investigation by federal and local authorities.