Why Israel Feels Election Of Zohran Mamdani As Next NYC Mayor Is ‘Bad For Jews’

Last Updated:November 09, 2025, 17:27 IST

Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, said that New York “Jewish community’s sense of security” might be harmed by Zohran Mamdani as mayor

Zohran Mamdani will assume office on January 1, 2026. (Photo Credits: Instagram)

Israelis across the political spectrum fear that Zohran Mamdani’s election as the next mayor of New York City — the city with the world’s second-largest Jewish population — could foreshadow icier relations with the U.S., Israel’s most important ally. Support for Mamdani from almost one-third of Jewish voters only added to the pain.

“Very bad," Hana Jaeger, a Jerusalem resident, told AP. “For the Jews, for Israel, for everyone, it’s very bad. What else can you say?"

Mamdani’s campaign looked at several local economic issues such as the lack of affordable child care and housing. But in Israel, his pro-Palestinian platform is all that matters.

Israeli government officials expressed their outrage sharply, labeling Mamdani, who is Muslim, as an Israel-hating antisemite. Analysts said their heavy-handed reactions indicated just how concerned they are about the shifting political winds.

“Even where there is a huge concentration of Jewish power, Jewish money, Jewish cultural and political influence — even in this place, an American can be elected with a clear anti-Israeli label on his lapel," wrote Shmuel Rosner, an analyst at the Jewish People Policy Institute. “What he did proves that standing up against Israel … can be politically profitable, or at least not harmful."

The reactions

Netanyahu did not immediately comment on the Mamdani win. But his office tried Wednesday to remind Israelis that the country’s relationship with the U.S. was still strong. “We have a bond that is stronger than ever between Israel and the United States right now," government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian said at her daily briefing.

Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, speculated that the New York “Jewish community’s sense of security" might be harmed by Mamdani as mayor, as he has control over the city’s police force.

Israel’s minister of diaspora affairs, Amichai Chikli, a member of Netanyahu’s nationalist Likud party, posted a stream of anti-Mamdani graphics on social media, including a retweeted photo of the Twin Towers being engulfed in flames after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, with the caption “New York already forgot." “The city that was once a symbol of global freedom has handed over its keys to a Hamas supporter," he said in a social media post.

“For a long, long time, American domestic politics were dominated by pro-Israel politicians, pro-Israel views. In large part, they still are," said Mairav Zonszein, a senior analyst with the Crisis Group. “Mamdani’s win represents that American Jews, specifically the younger generation, are changing and there’s no longer this monopoly of pro-Israel politics in domestic U.S. politics."

Israel & NYC

Israel has traditionally had a special connection with New York City. It is a popular destination for Israeli tourists and politicians, filled with kosher restaurants and home to an Israeli consulate that focuses heavily on relations with the Jewish community. Hebrew can often be heard on the streets and subways.

But throughout his campaign, the 34-year-old Mamdani, a far-left state lawmaker, alarmed Israelis by openly disavowing the pro-Israel stance traditionally adopted by New York’s mayoral hopefuls.

While he says he supports Israel’s right to exist, he describes any state or social hierarchy that favours Jews over others as incompatible with his belief in universal human rights.

Mamdani also has called the war in Gaza a genocide, a charge Israel’s government denies. He’s vowed to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if the premier steps foot in the city and signaled he may cut ties with Israeli industry and academia over the devastating war in Gaza.

Such views have drawn accusations of antisemitism from mainstream Jewish groups and supporters of Israel. Still, Mamdani has repeatedly committed to fighting antisemitism and developed strong alliances with center-left Jewish leaders. The AP Voter Poll found that he won roughly 30% of the Jewish vote.

At his celebration party Tuesday night, Mamdani said, “we will build a City Hall that stands steadfast alongside Jewish New Yorkers and does not waver in the fight against the scourge of antisemitism".

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the sentiment among Palestinians was far from gloomy.

“The election of Mr. Mamdani is truly inspiring," said Palestinian politician Mustafa Barghouti. “It reflects a great uprising among the younger generation of the United States, including the Jewish young generation, against political and social injustice."

“It also shows that the Palestinian issue has become an internal election issue all over the world, including in the United States of America."

With AP Inputs

News world Why Israel Feels Election Of Zohran Mamdani As Next NYC Mayor Is ‘Bad For Jews’

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