In a stunning upset that sent shockwaves through New York’s political and Jewish communities, Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani—a self-described anti-Zionist with a documented history of anti-Israel activism—emerged ahead of former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic mayoral primary. With over 90% of votes counted, Mamdani holds a 7-point lead, likely securing his place in the ranked-choice process to become the Democratic nominee in November’s general election.
While Cuomo’s concession speech on Tuesday was gracious, the implications of Mamdani’s rise are far from benign. New York City, home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, now faces the very real possibility of electing a mayor whose political identity has been defined by hostility toward the Jewish state—and whose rhetoric has, at times, crossed into territory many view as antisemitic.
Mamdani’s anti-Israel record is extensive and unapologetic. He has repeatedly called for boycotts of Israeli institutions, endorsed the radical BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement, and refused to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state. More troublingly, he has likened the Palestinian intifada—responsible for the murder of over 1,000 Israelis, including children—to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, a historical distortion so egregious it drew condemnation from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
He’s not merely sympathetic to fringe views—he’s at their center. Mamdani has marched with radical groups like Within Our Lifetime, whose slogans include “Globalize the intifada” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”—phrases widely regarded as calls for Israel’s destruction. His Facebook profile features footage of such rallies, where signs promoting violence against Jews are common.
At a recent UJA-Federation forum, Mamdani defended his support for BDS as “nonviolent,” while evading direct condemnation of Hamas for its Oct. 7 massacre. In fact, his first statement after the attack spared Hamas entirely, focusing blame squarely on Israel. This is not principled critique—it is selective outrage, and it aligns with a worldview that views Jewish self-determination as uniquely illegitimate.
Mamdani’s base is energized and young. His campaign was a well-oiled machine of social media virality and progressive promises—free public transit, rent freezes, and government-run grocery stores. But behind the shiny policy proposals lies a troubling pattern: when it comes to human rights, Mamdani’s outrage is reserved almost exclusively for Israel.
While ignoring global atrocities committed by China, Iran, or Russia, Mamdani has focused on one target, again and again: the Jewish state. His legislative efforts include sponsoring the “Not on Our Dime!” Act, which seeks to penalize U.S. nonprofits that support Israeli defense or settlement efforts. Critics note that no such legislative attention has been given to any other foreign conflict, only Israel.
In Commentary magazine, Seth Mandel was highly critical of Mamdani, writing, “His anti-Zionism is his most defined characteristic.”
“He surrounds himself with violence-promoting extremists and has worked a defense of Hezbollah into his campaign spiel (for certain audiences, at least),” Mandel wrote. “He is catastrophic, policy-wise, even without the vicious obsession with Israel and Jews, as committed snake-oil socialists often are. But throw in his defense of such phrases as “globalize the intifada” and you’ve got yourself an ostentatious foe of Jewish Americans’ safety and security.”
“Mamdani has spent his entire adult life thinking about and organizing against the Jewish state. He has no organic reason for this besides hate. Everything, to Mamdani, comes down to the Jewish state. And what a Mamdani victory would do is mainstream and legitimize the idea that New Yorkers should always be thinking and talking about the evils of the Jewish state and what they can do and say to make 90 percent of Jews uncomfortable in public spaces.”
Mamdani insists he is not antisemitic—only “anti-Zionist.” But as Democratic Assemblymember Sam Berger put it, “When someone spends years relentlessly targeting the world’s only Jewish state through legislation, boycotts, and protests—while remaining silent on the abuses of regimes like Iran, China, or Russia—it’s not principled criticism, it’s antisemitism, plain and simple.”
Indeed, Mamdani’s record is filled with instances that mainstream Jewish groups consider dangerous. He refused to sign resolutions condemning the Holocaust and honoring Israel. He vowed to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York—a legally baseless threat rooted more in political theater than principle. And he has surrounded himself with groups and individuals who normalize violent rhetoric against Jews.
Despite Mamdani’s efforts to court Jewish voters, endorsements from far-left anti-Israel groups like Jewish Voice for Peace and Jews for Economic and Racial Justice offered little reassurance to the mainstream Jewish community. Religious leaders across the spectrum—from Orthodox to secular—backed Cuomo, a centrist with a long and consistent pro-Israel record.
Liora Rez of StopAntisemitism warned, “It’s unthinkable that New York City, with one of the largest Jewish communities anywhere outside of Israel, would be led by an antisemite like Zohran Mamdani.”
With Mayor Eric Adams and Cuomo both qualified to run as independents in the general election, the path forward remains uncertain. Adams, though unpopular with progressives, is a reliable supporter of Israel and has taken steps to combat antisemitism in New York, including codifying the IHRA definition of antisemitism and creating a dedicated task force.
Whether the city’s Jewish voters—and centrists broadly—can coalesce around a single alternative to Mamdani remains to be seen. What is clear is that Mamdani’s ascent is a wake-up call. For New York’s Jewish community, this is not just a political contest. It is a referendum on whether anti-Israel extremism, cloaked in progressive rhetoric, can gain a foothold in America’s most Jewish city.
As the city stares down a possible mayoralty defined by hostility toward Israel, the question becomes urgent: Will New Yorkers accept a candidate whose defining passion is undermining the Jewish state—and, by extension, the Jewish people?
