The election of Zohran Mamdani as the new Mayor of New York City has sent a shockwave through Israeli media and the global Jewish community, with prominent outlets expressing deep concern over the implications of his victory. Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, made history as the city's first Muslim and South Asian mayor, but his long-standing, vocal criticism of Israel and his support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement have been the central focus of the backlash.
The alarm was sounded even before the final results were tallied. The Jerusalem Post published a stark editorial on the morning of the election, warning that a Mamdani win would signify a dangerous shift in American politics. According to the editorial, the race was being closely followed by "Every Jew across the world," and a victory for Mamdani would mean that "antisemitism can win elections" and would "impact Jews globally". The publication's concern was rooted in the belief that a Mamdani mayoralty would normalize anti-Israel sentiment within the Democratic Party, moving it from the political margins to a position of leadership.
Mamdani's past statements and affiliations have fueled the controversy. He has been described in the Israeli press as a "raging antisemite, a terrorist sympathizer, an ardent socialist, and a polarizing figure". The core of the opposition stems from his own admission that co-founding the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter at Bowdoin and his anti-Israel BDS activism were the "crux of the reason" he joined the Democratic Socialists of America. Furthermore, in the lead-up to the election, Mamdani drew intense scrutiny for his extreme characterization of Israel's actions, including a statement in October where he wrote that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had "launched a genocidal war".
The editorial from The Jerusalem Post argued that a Mamdani victory would send a "clear message for the Democratic Party: Antisemites can lead; they are no longer in the margins". This, the paper contended, would normalize support for a boycott of sovereign Israel and validate calls like "globalizing the intifada," which it described as a "relevant call for destroying the only Jewish state in the world" .
Ironically, the intensity of the campaign against Mamdani had an unintended consequence: it united a diverse and often-divided Jewish community in New York. The Post noted that Mamdani "created a counter-effect and united most of the Jewish community – including Reform Jews and Orthodox Jews, young and old – around this cause". This unity saw Reform and Orthodox rabbis, as well as members of both the Democratic and Republican parties, working together to combat his candidacy, a development the publication viewed as a significant, albeit necessary, positive outcome.
Despite the widespread opposition from the Jewish establishment, Mamdani's campaign successfully courted new constituencies, including a notable late push with an Arabic-language ad that highlighted identity politics as part of his coalition strategy. His victory, however, has solidified the fears expressed by the Israeli media. While the election is over, The Jerusalem Post’s final warning remains a guiding sentiment for many: if Mamdani had lost, it would have been a "day of reflection" on how to combat these opinions; with his win, the situation is viewed as a "very bad situation for Jews, for Israel, and for America". The implications of the New York election, it is clear, will be felt far beyond the city's five boroughs.
Photo: The source