Expect A Chaotic Fall 2026 Semester in New York City

As the Fall semester begins on American colleges and universities, the chances of a chaotic end to 2026 are strong and all but guaranteed for New York City.

There are many flash points in the perilous path ahead: the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the 3rd anniversary of October 7, elections in Israel and the U.S., as well as ongoing wars in Iran, Gaza, and Ukraine.

Looming ominously over the political scene is the new "Democratic Socialist" mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani. He is revered by the anti-Israel protest crowd and wields power over how the city reacts to protests, building takeovers, and encampments throughout the city, including on two of the most anti-Israel, trend-setting schools in the nation – Columbia and NYU. Unlike his predecessor Eric Adams, who was mayor during the Spring 2024 semester of encampments (the most confrontational semester in decades), Mamdani is on the side of the Student Intifada. As an undergraduate at Bowdoin College (2010-2014), Mamdani founded the Bowdoin Students for Justice in Palestine.

Mamdani is chummy with Siraj Wahhaj, an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and Hasan Piker who once said that "America deserved 9/11." Mamdani once broke into tears speaking about the damage 9/11 caused – not to the families of the 2,977 people killed that day, or to those who to subsequently died from breathing the toxic air at ground zero, but rather to his beloved "auntie" who "stopped taking the subway after September 11 because she did not feel safe in her hijab."

Many of the 9/11 families have requested that the mayor stay away from the events and keep his views to himself. "I think he needs to just respect us and let us have our time, and then he can do whatever he wants," said Monika Iken whose husband Michael was murdered in the South Tower on 9/11. Giovanni Galante, whose wife Grace was also murdered that day, called Mamdani's plans to attend the ceremonies at ground zero "a slap in the face ... Not because he is Muslim – because of who he supports. He represents values that are not ours."

The Port Authority Retired Police Association puts it in even stronger terms. President of the Association John McDevitt wrote a letter to Mamdani warning him: "Do not attend the 25th Anniversary memorial ceremony ... We strongly object to YOUR attendance."

Less than two weeks after the 9/11 anniversary, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to New York City to address the U.N. General Assembly. Mamdani spent months threatening to arrest Netanyahu in a bid to stir up his anti-Israel followers.

Lately he has his been encouraging his socialist minions to protest Netanyahu's speech. On July 22, after calling Netanyahu a war criminal and urging the federal government to carry out the ICC's arrest warrant, the mayor told reporters at a press conference that, "One of the bedrocks of our city is protesting. It is something that's been a part of what makes out city so special."

The NYPD is not amused by his antics. The NYPD Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Henry said that Mamdani's "heated rhetoric could be enough to push demonstrations over the edge into chaos" and cautioned that his "activist posturing puts police officers on the street in a terrible position."

Next up is the 3rd anniversary of October 7. Will Mamdani's wife Rama Duwaji, who "liked" social media celebrations of the Hamas attack, be able to keep her odious views to herself on that day, and how will the mayor himself commemorate the murder of 1,200 people?

Following the September 11 and October 7 commemorations come elections in Israel and the U.S. On October 27, Israel will hold its legislative elections, and on November 6, the U.S. will hold the midterm elections. Because they will affect the futures of two hated figures among the Student Intifada, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump, both elections, whatever their outcomes, have the potential to roil college campuses.

If Netanyahu wins, expect the "genocide" smear against Israel to gain momentum. If he loses, expect the "genocide" smear to continue when a new left-leaning government refuses to commit civilizational and national suicide to appease the anti-Zionists.

In the November 6 U.S. mid-term elections, if Republicans win and maintain control of the House and Senate, Trump may feel liberated enough from electoral concerns to resume the fighting in Iran. If Democrats take control of the House, Trump will likely feel the need to act quickly before the power shift and his inevitable third impeachment.

The Student Intifada is energized by the slate of DSA candidates in the midterm elections, the self-righteous indignation of the SJP leadership, and especially by perhaps the most vehemently anti-Israel politician ever elected in the U.S.

Buckle up Gotham – this ride could be a rough one.

Chief IPT Political Correspondent A.J. Caschetta is a principal lecturer at the Rochester Institute of Technology and a fellow at Campus Watch, a project of the Middle East Forum where he is also a Milstein fellow.

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