Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary has become a point of discussion across the United States and in Israel, mainly because of what his rise represents.
Mamdani is a self-described socialist who has built his political brand by opposing Israel, refusing to condemn terrorism, and advancing policies that threaten public order. Yet, despite this record, he now leads among Jewish voters by 17 points. That development is alarming, not only because of what it reveals about Mamdani’s support base but also because of what it says about the broader political environment that allowed such a candidacy to thrive.
Mamdani has openly endorsed the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, which seeks to isolate Israel economically and diplomatically. He has called for the arrest of Israel’s prime minister, referred to Israel as an “apartheid regime,” and repeatedly demonized the Jewish state while refusing to hold terrorists accountable.
After the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre in Israel, when some 1,200 Israelis were murdered, including children burned alive and women raped, Mamdani failed to deliver even the most basic condemnation. Instead, he deflected and blamed Israel. At a time when moral clarity was required, he chose political posturing.
This refusal to acknowledge terrorism for what it is should have disqualified him from serious consideration for office. Yet it has not.
Many American Jews are disconnected from their Jewish identities
The explanation lies in a deeper problem within both American Jewish life and the Democratic Party’s political culture. Pew Research Center surveys highlight the extent of religious disengagement among American Jews: Only 21% say religion is important in their lives, compared with 57% of American Christians. Roughly a quarter of Jews say they do not believe in God or any higher power at all, a level of secularization far higher than in most other American communities.
These trends extend into Jewish identity itself. Among Jews who do not identify with a religion, only 33% say they feel emotionally attached to Israel. In contrast, two-thirds of Jews who do identify religiously report a strong attachment to the Jewish state.
This split translates directly into politics. Jews who see themselves primarily as part of an ethnic or cultural group, rather than a religion, are far more likely to emphasize universal progressive causes over specifically Jewish or pro-Israel concerns.
For them, social justice, racial equity, climate change, and economic redistribution often take precedence, while issues like rising antisemitism or Israel’s security may feel distant or secondary. As a result, they are far less alarmed by politicians such as Zohran Mamdani, whose open hostility to Israel would normally alienate Jewish voters.
THE DEMOCRATIC Party provides fertile ground for this dynamic. Progressives within the party increasingly frame support for Israel as incompatible with their broader worldview, seeing it through the lens of colonialism and power rather than survival and self-determination.
Jews who are religiously detached and who already rank progressive ideals above Jewish particularism often follow this logic without conflict. The outcome is paradoxical: a community historically bound to Israel by faith, culture, and survival is now internally divided, with a significant portion willing to back candidates whose positions are directly antagonistic to the Jewish state.
In late 2024, then-Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer blocked the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which would have required federal agencies to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism.
That definition is widely supported by over 40 democracies and nearly every major Jewish organization. Schumer’s refusal was not a small matter; it sent a signal that appeasing activists mattered more than affirming Jewish safety.
The same pattern appeared again in June 2025 after the Boulder terrorist attack, when a man set pro-Israel demonstrators on fire. More than 100 House Democrats refused to support a resolution condemning the attack. When Jewish lives were targeted, too many leaders were silent.
Mamdani fits squarely within this broader trend. His extremism is not limited to Israel. He co-sponsored legislation to allow inmate housing based on self-declared gender identity, a policy that in other states has led to violence and even pregnancies in women’s prisons. He supported shielding illegal immigrants from law enforcement during felony investigations. He backed costly regulations on packaging that burden small businesses and make living in New York even more expensive.
These policies reflect an ideology unconcerned with consequences. They reveal a politician driven by radical ideals, not by solutions.
New York City is home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel. Its elections carry symbolic weight around the world. A Mamdani victory would not just shape city policy; it would send the message that hostility to Israel is compatible with leadership in America’s most visible city. That message would embolden anti-Israel activists nationwide and deepen the alienation that many Jews already feel from the Democratic Party.
For decades, Jewish Americans believed Democrats stood for civil rights, religious liberty, and democratic values. Today, support for Israel is often treated as offensive, and concerns about antisemitism are dismissed as inconvenient.
If Mamdani wins, the consequences will not be confined to New York’s streets. His victory will signal to progressives nationwide that hostility toward Israel and indifference to antisemitism carry no political price. That is a precedent the country cannot afford.
The writer is a nationally syndicated columnist for Townhall Media and Newsmax. His writing regularly appears in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, The Hill, and several other prominent outlets.