Every Jew across the world has been following New York City’s mayoral election, although it may be far away from where they live. By early Wednesday morning Israel time, we will probably know who won this mayoral race held on Tuesday, with results expected soon after polls close in the US.
According to The Jerusalem Post’s election-day brief, “Mamdani, Cuomo, and Sliwa face off as New York City polls open,” and “the city’s Jewish community has been divided in its support of Mamdani.”
Regardless of whether Mamdani wins, this election period in New York has caught the attention not only of the Jewish world but of the world at large. Its effects will be felt far beyond New York City.
Mamdani has been called a “raging antisemite, a terrorist sympathizer, an ardent socialist, and a polarizing figure” – language that reflects why the campaign has become a global story.
Mamdani’s own words have amplified concerns. In a 2021 clip resurfaced in the Post coverage, he said co-founding Bowdoin’s SJP chapter and anti-Israel BDS activism were the “crux of the reason” he joined the Democratic Socialists of America.
In recent months, the Post reported that he had told a closed-door gathering he would curb the use of the slogan “Globalize the intifada,” even as he has not publicly urged protesters to stop using it. And in October, he wrote that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had “launched a genocidal war,” framing Israel’s actions in the most extreme moral terms.
Mamdani winning would mean antisemites can win elections
If he wins, this is a clear message for the Democratic Party: Antisemites can lead; they are no longer in the margins. This means that being a supporter of a boycott of Israel – not just West Bank goods but also sovereign Israel – is normal.
This means that globalizing the intifada, as he calls it, is a relevant call for destroying the only Jewish state in the world, while dozens of Arab and Muslim states already exist.
Mamdani, though, created a counter-effect and united most of the Jewish community – including Reform Jews and Orthodox Jews, young and old – around this cause. Unfortunately, we needed a Mamdani to make that happen.
The Post's editor-in-chief Zvika Klein suggested that the New York Jewish community learn from UK Jews about rallying against Jeremy Corbyn when he ran for prime minister. Luckily, they did.
Many teams sat for hours and collected information about Mamdani’s problematic past; others promoted op-eds and social-media campaigns not for a specific candidate but against this one.
The rhetoric has already reshaped communal politics. An analysis of Jewish voting patterns found that “only 56% of the Jews who voted for [progressive] Brad Lander” selected Mamdani as their first choice, a sign of deep reservations among voters who might otherwise align with the Left.
International figures have also spoken out in his defense. As reported by the Post, “Jeremy Corbyn hosts a phone bank in support of Zohran Mamdani,” with his team “calling New Yorkers to convince them to vote for Mamdani,” a trans-Atlantic echo of Britain’s Corbyn era that many American Jews remember warily.
Mamdani’s campaign has simultaneously courted new constituencies. According to a Post staff report on a late push ad, he released an Arabic-language spot in which he jokes about knafeh (a traditional Middle Eastern dessert) and says, “My Arabic needs work,” highlighting identity politics as part of his coalition strategy.
One positive element is that Jews from across denominations and political affiliations united against this antisemite. Reform and Orthodox rabbis, as well as members of both the Democratic and Republican parties, have been working together to combat this problematic candidate. The Post views this as a significant move, indicating that the Jewish community has been able to set aside its differences in the face of a dramatic event.
Whichever candidate prevails, the implications will be felt far beyond New York. One of this publication’s opinion columns warned that “the risks of his win go far beyond New York City.”
If Mamdani wins, this is a very bad situation for Jews, for Israel, and for America. If he loses, it isn’t a happy day for Israel and the Jews, but it should be a day of reflection. We need to think of the day after – how we combat these opinions across the US, because they aren’t going anywhere.