To clarify for anyone who in good faith does not understand what is wrong with that quote, it is chock full of dog whistles and conspiracy thinking that may not readily be understood by the casual observer but are easily understood by white supremacists and other antisemites, signaling to them that Mamdani dislikes Jews just as much as they do:
"dark money": "Dark money" technically refers to untraceable or difficult to trace political donations. AIPAC's donations are all out in the open. It does not in any way fit the literal definition of "dark money". What Mamdani appears to be saying here is that the money itself is "dark" or evil because AIPAC (associated with Israel and Jews) has (metaphorically) touched it.
"single goal, to preserve their power": Mamdani frames AIPAC as uninterested in specific policy or political changes--the usual reason that PACs exist. He accuses them instead of being interested in power for power's sake, which it will use to undermine the health of society. He implies a contrast with himself and the DSA, whose intentions are painted as good and pure and whose goals are implied to to hinge on creating specific political and policy changes, with any interest in gaining power merely a side effect or dirty necessity of achieving such goals. In other words, he is taking an organization that is doing the exact same things that his own organization is doing, and painting it as uniquely evil. Mamdani tends to reserve this kind of rhetoric for organizations associated with Israel and, by extension, Jews.
"turn us against each other"--this accusation makes little sense. AIPAC is an organization focused on American-Israeli relations. It has no interest in tearing apart American society. However, Jews have long been accused of trying to undermine the coherence and well-being of the societies in which they live. It is not a factual statement, but an accusation built on and promoting distrust and scapegoating of Jews.
"moral change"--this statement puts AIPAC in opposition to "moral change" and morality in general. It build on and feeds into centuries of Christian and Muslim antisemitism painting Jews as immoral, scheming, an operatives of the devil.
"we all know"--Here, Mamdani delineates an ingroup ("we") with special knowledge ("we all know"). This is the language of conspiracy theorists. It is clear that by saying "we all" he does not mean all Americans or all New Yorkers; he is specifically delineating "we" from "AIPAC,' "our leaders," anyone who sympathizes with or supports them, and those who disagree with AIPAC and "our leaders" but trust that they are operating in good faith. AIPAC and "our leaders" are painted as beholden to foreign interests (understood here as Israeli and Jewish), while "we all" are the morally pure individuals who understand the evil nature of this Israeli-Jewish threat.
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