Never Again, NOW! is a pro-Israel, left-of-center social advocacy organization founded by former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D). ¹ It advocates for a strong relationship between the United States and Israel against what it considers to be the rise of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict that began in October 2023. ²

In the summer of 2024, Never Again, NOW! produced an advertisement that criticized the pro-Palestinian and allegedly pro-Hamas college protests across the United States and compared Hamas terrorism to the Nazi-perpetrated Holocaust genocide against European Jews during World War II. ³

Background

Never Again, NOW!’s name comes from the post-Holocaust vow by Jewish communities and their allies, who declared that the mass murder of Jews would happen “never again.” ⁴

Following the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) established Never Again, NOW! to oppose what the group describes as the rise of anti-Israel rhetoric in the United States that is the result of “ignorance and hate” toward the Jewish community. Its central initiative is to produce educational resources and lecture series to combat alleged anti-Semitism on college campuses and to argue against support for Hamas. ¹

Advertising Campaign

In July 2024, Never Again, NOW! produced a minute-long advertisement that went viral, garnering reaction from major media outlets, including the New York Times, New York Post, and several Jewish publications. ^{2 5 3 6} The advertisement criticized the college campus protests in America that claimed to be pro-Palestinian, stating that “Hamas persecutes gays and subjugates women, while teaching kids to hate and kill.” It also used footage from Nazi concentration camps to suggest that Hamas’ terrorism against the state of Israel mirrors the Nazi genocide of Jewish and other populations during World War II. Never Again, NOW! considers Hamas a “genocidal terrorist organization dedicated to killing Jews and more. ”¹

In response to criticism that the advertisement was excessively intense and graphic, former Governor Cuomo claimed that “‘the ad is intense because what happened [on October 7] was intensely brutal.’” ⁵

Leadership

Andrew Cuomo is the founder and executive director of Never Again, NOW!. Before establishing the organization, Cuomo was most prominently known for his time as the governor of New York from 2011 until his resignation in 2021. He also served as former President Bill Clinton’s Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. ⁷

During his tenure, former Governor Cuomo issued an executive order that forbade state government entities from conducting business with organizations that supported the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against the State of Israel which seeks American withdrawal from all investment in Israel or companies that financially support Israel. Several pundits, including Bill Maher, have publicly said they believe that former Governor Cuomo is preparing a new run for political office through his work with Never Again, NOW!. ²

Never Again, NOW! also maintains a board of directors. It has neither published who sits on the board nor their roles in the activities of the organization. ¹

1. Home. Never Again, NOW!. Accessed July 13, 2023.  https://www.neveragain-now.org/
2.  Ashford, Grace. “Cuomo, in New Ad, Blasts Pro-Palestinian Demonstrators and Hamas.” New York Times. July 2, 2024. Accessed July 13, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/02/nyregion/cuomo-israel-hamas-ad.html
3. Israel, David. “Andrew Cuomo Group Launches Ad Ridiculing Pro-Hamas Protesters.” Jewish Press. July 3, 2024. Accessed July 13, 2024. https://www.jewishpress.com/news/on-campus/andrew-cuomo-group-launches-ad-ridiculing-pro-hamas-protesters/2024/07/03/
4.  Burack, Emily. “How ‘Never Again’ evolved from Holocaust commemoration slogan to universal call.” Times of Israel. March 9, 2018. Accessed July 13, 2024. https://www.timesofisrael.com/how-never-again-evolved-from-holocaust-commemoration-slogan-to-universal-call/
5. Campanile, Carl. “Pro-Israel group launched by ex-NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo slams young protestors for backing Hamas.” New York Post. July 2, 2024. Accessed July 13, 2024. https://nypost.com/2024/07/02/us-news/cuomo-group-slams-anti-israel-protestors-for-backing-hamas/
6. Kornbluh, Jacob. “Cuomo releases TV ad blasting campus protesters backing Hamas.” Forward. July 2, 2024. Accessed July 13, 2024. https://forward.com/fast-forward/629166/andrew-cuomo-campus-protests-israel/
7. Andrew Cuomo. Ballotpedia. Accessed July 13, 2024. https://ballotpedia.org/Andrew_Cuomo