Rome, 31 December (LaPresse) – On the eve of his inauguration, scheduled for 1 January, New York's mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, has appointed an anti-Israel activist lawyer, Ramzi Kassem, as his chief legal adviser. The Times of Israel reports that Kassem, who was part of Mamdani's transition team, is a long-time anti-Israel activist who was part of the legal team for Mahmoud Khalil, leader of the Palestinian protests at Columbia University, after Khalil was arrested by US authorities. Kassem takes on this role after directing Creating Law Enforcement Accountability and Responsibility (Clear), a non-profit organisation and legal clinic at Cuny Law School. Kassem also served as an immigration policy advisor to the administration of former US President Joe Biden. Mamdani wrote on social media that CLEAR ‘has been at the forefront of providing legal defence to students detained by ICE and supporting many others at risk.’
© Copyright LaPresse
