New Yorkers head to the polls today in one of the most closely watched municipal elections in years. Among the leading candidates is Zohran Mamdani, a progressive state lawmaker known for his outspoken opposition to the Israeli occupation — a position that has stirred both enthusiasm and controversy. His candidacy has sparked widespread discussion over what his victory could mean for New York’s political stance, investments, and even police conduct, particularly given his criticism of what he terms Israel’s “genocidal actions.”
A Candidacy Shaped by the Palestinian Cause
According to a report in the Israeli daily Maariv, foreign affairs correspondent Eli Leon noted that while Mamdani’s activism has long focused on local issues, Palestine has been a driving force behind his political engagement. Earlier this week, Mamdani released a campaign video in Arabic — featuring the Palestinian flag prominently in the background — addressing Arab and Muslim voters directly.
The New York Times previously reported that, as a member of the New York State Assembly, Mamdani introduced legislation targeting entities linked to Israeli settlements. In 2023, he led an unsuccessful push to revoke tax exemptions from charities connected to settler organisations in the occupied West Bank.
A year later, he reintroduced a revised version under the slogan “Not On Our Dime,” though it too failed to pass. Now, as a leading contender for mayor, Mamdani could wield new tools to influence the city’s policy toward Israel.
A City with the World’s Largest Jewish Community Outside Israel
Maariv’s report highlighted that New York — home to the world’s largest Jewish population outside Israel — is observing Mamdani’s rise with particular interest. As a candidate, he refused to attend the annual “Celebrate Israel Parade” on Fifth Avenue, an event central to the city’s Jewish establishment.
“If he wins,” the report said, “it will be interesting to see how he handles this event next year.”
The Jewish News Agency noted that Mamdani has avoided questions about double standards, as he marched this year in a parade representing Pakistan — a Muslim-majority nation criticised for religious intolerance — while boycotting the Israel Day march.
Mamdani’s stance on Israel, however, is unambiguous. He rejects recognising Israel as a “Jewish state”, stating that “no state has the right to exist based on ethnic or religious hierarchy.” He advocates instead for equal rights for all peoples.
If elected, Mamdani would oversee the city’s $300 billion pension fund, giving him significant leverage over where municipal investments flow.
A Record of Boycott Advocacy
A former BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) activist, Mamdani has consistently argued that the city should divest from companies and bonds violating international law, particularly those tied to the Israeli occupation.
He has expressed support for continuing the policy of outgoing Comptroller Brad Lander, who decided not to reinvest in Israeli bonds upon their expiration.
This position could bring Mamdani into direct conflict with Mark Levine, Manhattan Borough President and a leading contender for city comptroller, who has pledged to renew the city’s investments in Israeli bonds. Former comptroller Scott Stringer suggested that Mamdani’s handling of divestment would serve as an “early test” of whether his campaign rhetoric translates into actionable policy.
“I’d Order Netanyahu’s Arrest”
In one of his most provocative statements, Mamdani said he would instruct the NYPD to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he visit New York — a declaration legal experts called “nearly impossible” and potentially in conflict with federal law.
He has also voiced concern about joint training exercises between the NYPD and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). In 2023, Mamdani remarked, “When an NYPD boot is on your neck, it’s the Israeli army that trained it.”
In a recent interview with CNN, he clarified that he was referring to police exchange programmes with Israeli forces — not a direct operational link — but stood by his criticism of militarised policing.
Reassessing Institutional Ties with Israel
Mamdani has also criticised academic and economic partnerships with Israeli institutions. He condemned the collaboration between Cornell University and the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, hinting that as mayor he would revisit the arrangement and review the board overseeing Roosevelt Island’s development projects.
He told Bloomberg that he plans to dismantle the New York–Israel Economic Council, an initiative launched by outgoing Mayor Eric Adams to promote bilateral business ties.
The Backlash and the Battle of Narratives
Mamdani’s outspoken positions have provoked sharp backlash.
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo branded him “sympathetic to terrorism,” and claimed that “anti-Zionism is antisemitism.” Many observers saw Cuomo’s comments as an attempt to mobilise segments of the Jewish electorate wary of Mamdani’s rhetoric.
Mamdani strongly rejected accusations of antisemitism, pledging that if elected, he would expand city programmes protecting Jewish residents and combat genuine antisemitic incidents. He also distanced himself from his past use of the phrase “Globalize the Intifada”, which critics interpreted as a call to violence, clarifying that he now discourages the slogan’s use.
A Symbol of the Political Shift in the West
Whether or not Mamdani wins, his candidacy itself marks a turning point in Western political discourse — where open criticism of Israel, once career-ending, is now mainstreamed within progressive politics.
His rise reflects a broader generational shift: younger, diverse voters — many of them Muslim, Arab, or socially conscious — are no longer swayed by the narratives that once shielded Israel from accountability.
If elected, Mamdani would represent not just a political upset in New York, but a seismic cultural statement — that defending Palestinian rights is no longer taboo in American politics, and that city governance can no longer ignore the moral dimension of global justice.
