Democrats in America’s most Jewish metropolis have nominated an ardent critic of Israel for mayor, Zohran Mamdani. This has alarmed some members of New York’s Jewish community and shows that the party’s goals have changed dramatically, according to one of its most faithful voter groups.
The 33-year-old democratic socialist’s unexpectedly good showing in the Democratic primary against former Governor Andrew Cuomo proves that having a position against Israel is no longer seen as a disqualifying factor. An concerted attempt to put economic pressure on Israel through boycotts and other measures is supported by the state Assembly member, who has rejected to accept the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state, refused to criticize the phrase “global intifada,” and more.
Still, he was well-received by Jewish voters and performed admirably in the city that has the biggest Jewish population outside of Israel.
The triumph of Mamdani is indicative of the ideological shift among many American Jews following the attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023, which prompted Israel to invade Gaza. Many Jewish Democratic voters are extremely dissatisfied of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu due to their disappointment with Israel’s military behavior. Many younger, more progressive people no longer believe the widely held view that anti-Israel sentiment is intrinsically antisemitic, and this is particularly true among them.
In a city where anti-Jewish hate crimes have increased, some have expressed concern that Mamdani’s performance has heightened their worries about safety and the declining power of Jewish voters. More than half of the hate incidents in the city last year were directed at Jews.
Rabbi Shimon Hecht of Brooklyn’s Congregation B’nai Jacob expressed concern, saying, “Definitely people are concerned.” Hecht has heard from congregants recently who hope Mamdani is defeated in the November general election, where he will face Mayor Eric Adams (running as an independent), Republican Curtis Sliwa, and possibly even Cuomo (if he remains in the race).
As with every shocking election, Hecht believes this one serves as a wake-up call. It will require a great deal of unity among Jews and others who care about these issues, but I firmly think that he will not be chosen as our next mayor. We must come together.
Republican political expert Hank Sheinkopf, a seasoned New Yorker, was more direct, saying that observant Jews would quickly leave the city and that long-established Jewish power would diminish, a trend that would be repeated abroad.
“New York is a petri dish for national Democratic politics,” he added, predicting the end of Jewish New York as we know it. And this is a national trend; similar events will undoubtedly occur in other places.
Israeli policy was central to the campaign
Antisemitism and support for Israel were deemed “the most important issue” during the campaign by Mamdani’s leading Democratic opponent, the former governor.
Supporters of Mamdani said that Cuomo was attempting to weaponize the topic time and time again. Some made comparisons to the way Trump, the Republican president, has labeled any criticism of Israel’s activities as antisemitic and has asserted that Jewish voters who support the Democrats “hate Israel” and their faith.
Some who backed Mamdani saw the election results as proof that voters rejected Cuomo’s claim that the Jewish community in New York was in danger from an emerging socialist with pro-Palestinian leanings.
Many were outspokenly against Cuomo, who resigned in shame after being accused of sexual harassment, or concerned about affordability in an exorbitantly priced metropolis.
“New Yorkers, many of them Jewish, saying we care more about having an affordable city than sowing division,” said Aiyana Leong Knauer, a 35-year-old Jewish bartender from Brooklyn who supported Mamdani.
The weaponization of our past is something that “many of us take really deep offense to,” she commented. While Jews across the world understandably worry for their safety, the vast majority of New York’s Jewish population does not face any threats.
Regarding Israel, several people shared Mamdani’s opinion.
According to Beth Miller, who served as political director of the anti-Zionist, progressive organization Jewish Voice for Peace Action—which supported Mamdani—Mamdani “was actually pretty popular among a lot of Jewish voters.”
This is not because he does not believe in Palestinian rights. She explained that this was due to his advocacy for Palestinian rights. According to her, “there has been a massive rupture within the Jewish community and more and more Jews of all generations, but especially younger generations” are now cutting links with what they perceive as an errant government carrying out atrocities against innocent people.
Since the conflict started, polls reveal that support for Israel has been on the wane. A March study by the Pew Research Center found that 42% of Americans had a “somewhat” or “very” negative view of Israel in 2022, although that number has since dropped to a slim majority. Compared to Republicans, Democrats are far more pessimistic; about 70% of Democrats have an unfavorable impression.
Aside from the mayoral debate
Voters’ thoughts on Israel weren’t limited to Mamdani’s race.
Park Slope and nearby neighborhoods’ City Councilwoman Shahana Hanif came under fire for her support of Palestinian causes in Brooklyn. Critics suggested she should have dealt with antisemitic occurrences in the district more strongly.
Regardless of the flood of money from rich, pro-Israel organizations and donors, Hanif handily defeated her Jewish opponent, Maya Kornberg, becoming the first Muslim woman elected to the City Council.
Developer Ramon Maislen was disappointed by the result since he had formed Brooklyn BridgeBuilders to fight Hanif’s reelection and because antisemitism did not appear to have any impact on the electorate.
“Our neighbors’ response was extremely disappointing,” he expressed.
He claimed that locals frequently yelled at him and accused him of aiding genocide when he was running against Hanif.
Those of us in the Jewish community who are sensitive to such things are aware that a cultural tsunami is happening, he added. “In this liberal or progressive space, what we’re witnessing is the legitimization of hatred like never before.”
The rhetoric and record of Mamdani
Even when questioned about his position on antisemitism during an interview on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” Mamdani reiterated his commitment to combat the ideology. Brad Lander, the city’s highest-ranking Jewish official and a fellow contender, joined him on the show. Lander had cross-endorsed him. Additionally, he has pledged to double the current budget for anti-hate crime initiatives.
The phrase “globalize the intifada” has been adopted as a slogan in recent rallies, and he has refused to denounce it, among other remarks, which have infuriated Jewish groups and officials. It is seen by many Jews as an incitement to harm innocent Israeli citizens. The expression, according to Mamdani, encapsulated “a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights” in a podcast interview.
While addressing the term once again, Mamdani stated on Sunday’s NBC “Meet the Press” that policing speech was not his responsibility and promised to “protect Jewish New Yorkers and lives up to that commitment through the work that I do.”