New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani appointed a lawyer who represented an al Qaeda terrorist and Columbia activist Mahmoud Khalil as New York City’s chief counsel on Tuesday.
Ramzi Kassem, also a law professor at City University of New York and a member of Mamdani’s legal affairs transition team, will advise Mamdani and City Hall on legal matters.
Kassem helped defend al Qaeda member Ahmed al Darbi, who was convicted of bombing a French oil tanker off the coast of Yemen in 2002. He also defended the Palestinian activist Khalil, who was one of the leaders of the Gaza Solidarity Encampment at Columbia University and was later arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after his immigration papers were revoked.
The lawyer also participated in anti-Israel protests at Columbia, wrote a letter to the editor of the Columbia Spectator newspaper criticizing a sandwich named the “Israeli wrap” for being offensive to Muslims and Arabs, and claimed a two-state solution between Israel and Gaza “is not viable, nor is it desirable.”
Kassem is also the co-founder of the Creating Law Enforcement Accountability & Responsibility Project, which has recently provided legal defense for students detained by ICE. He also worked as a senior policy adviser to former President Joe Biden.
Mamdani praised Kassem alongside new corporation counsel Steven Banks as lawyers who will fight for working people and their safety and freedoms.
“The rule-of-law is the bedrock of good governance, effective leadership, and a city that works for working people,” Mamdani said in a statement. “With Steve Banks and Ramzi Kassem as my Corporations and Chief Counsel, our City will not only operate in accordance with the law, but will understand and employ it as a critical tool in the fight for working people and to protect their safety and fundamental freedoms.”
Kassem called it a “privilege” and a “duty” to join Mamdani’s fight for working New Yorkers.
“As the federal government threatens to undermine civil rights and the rule of law, our city will be on the front lines. We will not allow fear, cruelty, or authoritarianism to take root in our city. As Chief Counsel to the Mayor, my top priority will be to help ensure that all New Yorkers, without exception, can thrive here, in safety and dignity,” he said.
Kassem’s appointment could add to the controversy surrounding Mamdani’s anti-Israel statements and ties. He was widely criticized for his failure to condemn the “globalize the intifada” phrase earlier this year, before he backtracked and discouraged its use.
Democratic political operative Ken Frydman told the New York Post that his appointment won’t “sit well with the Jewish community.”
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“Everyone’s entitled to legal representation … even Mahmoud Khalil. But that doesn’t mean Ramzi Kassem had to represent him,” he added.
Mamdani and his administration will take office on Jan. 1, 2026.
