Zohron Mamdani, an anti-Zionist State Assemblyman from Queens, just won the Democratic Party primary to be mayor of New York City.
By Rachel Avraham
Pro-Israel New Yorkers have long enjoyed support from their mayor, who marches in New York City’s pro-Israel parade every year, the Times of Israel reported. According to the report, Mayor Eric Adams has repeatedly voiced support for Israel and mainstream Jews, including since the October 7th massacre and in recent months, bolstering his support in the Jewish community. But New York City’s next mayor may not be like him.
Zohron Mamdani, a democratic socialist and anti-Zionist State Assemblyman from Queens, who has a long antisemitic track record, just won the Democratic Party’s primary race for Mayor of New York City. There are many reasons why Jewish New Yorkers should be concerned about his ascendance to power.
According to the Institute for National Security Studies, “Mamdani, a 33-year-old Muslim, represents the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. He is backed by Senator Bernie Sanders, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC)—both vocal and consistent critics of Israel—and by the anti-Zionist organization Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). In the primary, Mamdani defeated centrist candidate and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who enjoyed broad support from the Democratic establishment, including former President Bill Clinton, as well as from Jewish communities and pro-Israel organizations.”
Additionally, Mamdani blamed Israel for the October 7th massacre on October 8th, before Israel even had the chance to retaliate, the Jerusalem Post reported. According to the report, Mamdani also opposed Holocaust remembrance legislation, has justified “global intifada” — a phrase calling to murder Jews worldwide — and even compared it to Jews being freed from Nazi death camps, and starred in music videos praising literal convicted Hamas financial backers, the “Holy Land Five”. Since rising to the spotlight, Politico noted that Mandani declined to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada”, after the state’s junior senator, Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) called on Mamdani to denounce the term last Thursday, implying that he will continue to promote the phrase once elected.
More alarmingly, the Jerusalem Post reported that New York City mayoral primary winner Zohran Mamdani sponsored a bill that would force any New York synagogue or Jewish corporation that gives money to ZAKA, United Hatzalah, or the One Israel Fund to pay a fine of at least $1 million or risk a lawsuit. According to the report, the bill, “Not on our dime!: Ending New York funding of Israeli settler violence act,” was introduced in the New York State Assembly by Mamdani in May 2023 with the aim of prohibiting New York not-for-profit corporations from engaging in support of Israeli settlement activity. Although the bill failed to advance due to the high level of opposition that it faced, if Mamdani becomes mayor, one can expect that such legislation in the future will be advanced.
In light of this, various pundits in the media are now questioning whether Mandani as mayor of New York would send police forces to pro-Palestinian encampments at New York’s various universities in order to protect Jewish students, given that he has vowed to defund the police and is a supporter of the pro-Palestine movement. New Yorkers should also be alarmed about what kind of curriculum could be added to New York’s public schools, if Mamdani is elected mayor.
Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) CEO Sacha Roytman issued the following statement on the victory of Zohran Mamdani in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary election on Tuesday: “Along with all New Yorkers, the Jews of New York City are right to be concerned today. New Yorkers deserve a mayor who fights antisemitism, not incites it. Mamdani’s disturbing record of supporting BDS and legitimizing ‘globalize the intifada’ rhetoric should be disqualifying for public office in a city home to the largest Jewish community outside of Israel. We can only hope New York City voters rise to the moment and reject this hate in the general election in November.”
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