Israel is playing an outsized role in a heated New York City mayoral race. Will it matter?
Speaking from a Jerusalem bomb shelter last week as Iran and Israel exchanged fire, a New York state senator posted a video message to New York City voters: 'There is a mayoral primary coming up this week where one of the candidates does not believe the Jewish state has a right to exist,' said Sam Sutton, the senator from Brooklyn. 'We don't want to be in a situation like this in America.'
Sutton called on New Yorkers to elect a 'great friend of the Jewish people': Andrew Cuomo, New York's former governor.
The appeal was a stark illustration of the outsized role a foreign country and its conflicts have come to play in local elections. While Tuesday's vote is just the primary, the winner of the Democratic contest historically has gone on to win the mayoral contest in November – though this year could be different.
'This election has turned into a two-person contest between Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mandani, two candidates with very stark views on this matter,' said Jacob Kornbluh, a senior politics reporter with the Forward Jewish newspaper.
With New York City's nearly one million Jews making up the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, mayors of the past have always claimed support for the country with little pushback. But the war in Gaza has fundamentally changed the dynamic. Mamdani's outspoken support for Palestinians might have previously tanked his candidacy, but his insurgent campaign has galvanised voters. Cuomo has responded by portraying Mamdani as 'dangerous' and himself as uniquely positioned to fight antisemitism, a growing source of anxiety among Jewish voters.
Cuomo's campaign – flush with millions from pro-Israel billionaires like Bill Ackman – has ramped up attacks against Mamdani as he surged in the polls, including by distributing mailers condemned as racist. The former governor has stated unequivocally that 'anti-Zionism is antisemitism'.
It's not just Cuomo appealing to the fears of Jewish voters. Eric Adams – the current mayor, who is running as an independent given his plummeting popularity – recently adopted a contentious definition of antisemitism and floated running on an 'EndAntisemitism' party line.
Mamdani grew emotional last week while discussing the personal toll of the attacks, including multiple death threats, and has invoked his experience as a Muslim New Yorker to say he understands the pain of the Jewish communities that he pledges to protect.
'The attacks on Zohran are textbook post 9/11 Islamophobia,' said Sumaya Awad, a Palestinian New Yorker and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, one of the first groups to back his candidacy. She praised Mamdani for not 'backing down'.
Mamdani co-founded his college's Students for Justice in Palestine chapter, and as a state assembly member, introduced legislation to stop the funding of illegal Israeli settlements. He has built an enthusiastic coalition of young, progressive, and unabashedly pro-Palestinain New Yorkers, as well as immigrants and many of the city's roughly 800,000 Muslims.
City comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander, who is Jewish and has cross-endorsed Mamdani, has sought to find a middle ground and accused Cuomo and Adams of 'using Jews as pawns', he told the Guardian in an interview – 'not with the intention of making Jews any safer, but with the intention of gaining political advantage for themselves'.
'Thankfully it's not the job of the mayor to find mutual recognition and peace and safety for Israelis and Palestinians,' he said. 'It is incumbent on the next mayor, whatever their position is, to find ways to reach across the divide.'
As some candidates stoke fears, anxiety around the election is palpable among many Jewish voters.
Alex Kaufman, a leader of LGBTQ Zionists of NYC, which endorsed Cuomo, said he had always prioritized issues like housing affordability, sustainability, and racial inclusion. 'But this year, my number one issue is antisemitism,' he said. 'I've never felt this unsafe.'
With election day around the corner, the race has turned into an Israel-Palestine proxy war of sorts, even as voters on both sides wish the focus remained on local issues. Candidates have been asked in mayoral debates about their support for Israel and whether they would visit – with Mamdani's answers that he supports Israel's right to exist as a state 'with equal rights' and that as mayor he would stay in the city rather than travel to a foreign country drawing both praise and condemnation (including some from the left, who criticised him for recognising Israel at all). In recent days, Cuomo has seized on Mamdani's position on the words 'globalize the intifada', saying they fuel 'hate' and 'murder'.
Beth Miller, political director of Jewish Voice for Peace's action pac, which has been canvassing for Mamdani, said that his success challenges the long-held wisdom that a New York mayor must support the Israeli government. 'If you believe in safety, freedom, dignity, and justice for people here at home, you can't have a Palestine exception to that,' she said.
New York's Jews are a diverse constituency – ranging from some anti-Zionists and others variously critical of Israel to orthodox communities traditionally voting as a unified bloc for more conservative candidates. A recent poll of the city's Jewish Democrats showed 31% supporting Cuomo, 20% backing Mamdani, and 18% behind Lander.
In the middle are New York Jews who consistently vote Democratic and espouse a host of liberal and even progressive causes. Many are still reeling from the 7 October 2023 attacks in Israel, are uneasy about the tone of US protests against the war in Gaza, and are increasingly worried about Jewish safety, pointing to recent violent attacks in Washington DC, and Colorado, and defacing of Jewish businesses and synagogues in the city.
Kaufman, of LGBTQ Zionists, said he wished there were 'better options' but that many of his acquaintances were coalescing around Cuomo even as they have reservations about his past conduct, including the sexual assault allegations that ended his governorship. Others gravitated toward Lander, but were troubled by his endorsement of Mamdani. Some said they were 'terrified' of the latter, pointing to his refusal to recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state and his presence at protests where Houthi flags were on display.
Cuomo has promised to run as an independent if Mamdani wins on Tuesday. Because Adams is running as an independent, and Mamdani is also expected to remain on the ballot as the Working Families Party candidate, the contest is far from over.
But to some, the fact that an openly pro-Palestinian candidate has made it this far is a sign of a profound shift in the city's politics.
'The status quo is being bent,' said Awad. She said she cried when filling in her ballot early. 'Hope is such a rare thing to feel these days.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BreakingNews.ie
21 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Efforts under way to evacuate Irish citizens from Israel
Efforts are under way to evacuate 15 Irish citizens from Israel, the Tánaiste has said. Simon Harris, foreign affairs minister, said an operation was ongoing to evacuate 15 Irish citizens and their dependants from Israel, working with EU member states. Advertisement He said they were working with a smaller number of citizens in Iran who had requested an evacuation. Around 29 Irish citizens in Iran had registered with the Irish embassy and around 200 in Israel. I'm deeply concerned by the very real risk of an extremely dangerous spiral of escalation now in the Middle East. Urgent de-escalation & diplomacy are crucial. I will travel to Brussels to meet European counterparts. My full statement on latest developments is below. ⬇️ — Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) June 22, 2025 Mr Harris said he spoke to Iran's deputy foreign minister on Sunday, at their request, who was 'full of anger'. 'He did say to me that it was the view of Iran that the aggressors would have to learn lessons and pay a price,' he told reporters at Government Buildings. Advertisement 'Of course I articulated in the strongest possible terms that Ireland and the European Union doesn't want to see that, we want to see people step back from the brink and engage in dialogue.' Mr Harris said the US strikes on Iran had made a 'volatile situation even more dangerous' and added an 'extra layer of complexity' to what was already a 'tinderbox'. Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Mr Harris have both called for an 'urgent' de-escalation and a negotiated solution over Iran's nuclear facilities. They said they are in close contact with their European counterparts before a meeting of EU foreign leaders on Monday and of EU leaders later in the week. Advertisement 'Diplomacy and dialogue is ultimately the only way to resolve these issues,' Mr Martin said. 'Iran should commit not to develop nuclear weapons and disavow its nuclear and uranium enrichment programme. 'Nuclear safety is an issue here, modern warfare is very destructive. It is civilians who ultimately suffer, and that is why we need an end to these wars and bring an end to conflict.' There is an urgent need for de-escalation, dialogue & diplomacy in the Middle East. Iran should unequivocally disavow the development of nuclear weapons. A negotiated solution is the way forward. We remain in close contact with international partners ahead of the EU Council. — Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) June 22, 2025 Mr Martin said the escalation on Sunday should not draw attention away from the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Advertisement 'We shouldn't lose sight of the catastrophe that is still unfolding in Gaza while the war between Iran and Israel continues,' he said. 'What is happening in Gaza is appalling and a breach of international humanitarian law, and again, innocent civilians and children are being starved there, and we need that to come to an end.' Staff from Ireland's embassy in Tehran left the country on Friday as the embassy was closed, and updates are being provided on more than 300 Irish peacekeepers stationed in Lebanon. Mr Harris said there were no plans to withdraw Irish troops and that 'decisions are being made constantly' to ensure their safety. Advertisement When asked whether he supported US President Donald Trump's strikes on Iran, Mr Harris said: 'I think it's resulted in an extraordinarily dangerous escalation of a conflict that already best be described as a tinderbox. 'We're now entering a moment of particular danger, because I think the chances now of a spiral of escalation are more likely than ever before, and there is a real prospect now of the international community losing all control of this very, very volatile conflict.' He said there was only a 'very small' number of Irish citizens, many dual nationals, seeking an evacuation, and they were working with European counterparts. He said a significant update on this would be available in the hours ahead. 'Thank god we woke this morning to the International Atomic Energy Agency saying they haven't detected any increase in radiation,' he told RTÉ Radio. 'But imagine if we were waking up this morning to a situation where radiation levels were extraordinarily high, and the health and human danger that that would have presented far beyond Iran as well. So this is an extraordinarily dangerous time.' He said that it was 'sadly true' that international legal norms are not being adhered to, citing the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Israel's 'genocidal activity' in Palestine and now the Iran-Israel conflict. He said there was a diplomatic process in train and his understanding from readouts was 'there was a commitment from the Iranian side to further talks'. Mr Harris said Ireland and Europe are 'fully united in the clear view' that Iran should not be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. 'The way to address this was always through a negotiated solution. Any alternative to that is simply too dangerous for civilians, for the Middle East region and for global security. 'Together with my EU counterparts, we will in the coming hours and days discuss and review the latest developments and consider the next steps Europe can usefully play to support de-escalation.' Minister for Culture Patrick O'Donovan said people woke up on Sunday 'terrified, really, to be quite honest, about the prospect of what's unfolding'. He told RTE's The Week In Politics it is 'terrifying' for citizens in Iran and Israel. 'It does take great people to make leaps of faith in particular places in time to come forward, whether it was in relation to (Anwar el-Sadat) in Egypt, and later on in relation to Bill Clinton and what he did, we do now require people to actually get people around the table,' he said. 'Because, ultimately, as the Taoiseach said, this is terrifying – not only for the innocent communities that are living in both countries, but as well as that for the neighbouring countries in the Middle East, who we obviously all hope are not drawn into a much bigger conflict.'
The Independent
22 minutes ago
- The Independent
Efforts under way to evacuate Irish citizens from Israel
Efforts are under way to evacuate 15 Irish citizens from Israel, Ireland's deputy premier said. Simon Harris, Ireland's foreign affairs minister, said an operation was ongoing to evacuate 15 Irish citizens and their dependants from Israel, working with EU member states. He said they were working with a smaller number of citizens in Iran who had requested an evacuation. Around 29 Irish citizens in Iran had registered with the Irish embassy and around 200 in Israel. Mr Harris said he spoke to Iran's deputy foreign minister on Sunday, at their request, who was 'full of anger'. 'He did say to me that it was the view of Iran that the aggressors would have to learn lessons and pay a price,' he told reporters at Government Buildings. 'Of course I articulated in the strongest possible terms that Ireland and the European Union doesn't want to see that, we want to see people step back from the brink and engage in dialogue.' Mr Harris said the US strikes on Iran had made a 'volatile situation even more dangerous' and added an 'extra layer of complexity' to what was already a 'tinderbox'. Irish premier Micheal Martin and Mr Harris have both called for an 'urgent' de-escalation and a negotiated solution over Iran's nuclear facilities. They said they are in close contact with their European counterparts before a meeting of EU foreign leaders on Monday and of EU leaders later in the week. 'Diplomacy and dialogue is ultimately the only way to resolve these issues,' Mr Martin said. 'Iran should commit not to develop nuclear weapons and disavow its nuclear and uranium enrichment programme. 'Nuclear safety is an issue here, modern warfare is very destructive. It is civilians who ultimately suffer, and that is why we need an end to these wars and bring an end to conflict.' Mr Martin said the escalation on Sunday should not draw attention away from the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. 'We shouldn't lose sight of the catastrophe that is still unfolding in Gaza while the war between Iran and Israel continues,' he said. 'What is happening in Gaza is appalling and a breach of international humanitarian law, and again, innocent civilians and children are being starved there, and we need that to come to an end.' Staff from Ireland's embassy in Tehran left the country on Friday as the embassy was closed, and updates are being provided on more than 300 Irish peacekeepers stationed in Lebanon. Mr Harris said there were no plans to withdraw Irish troops and that 'decisions are being made constantly' to ensure their safety. When asked whether he supported US President Donald Trump's strikes on Iran, Mr Harris said: 'I think it's resulted in an extraordinarily dangerous escalation of a conflict that already best be described as a tinderbox. 'We're now entering a moment of particular danger, because I think the chances now of a spiral of escalation are more likely than ever before, and there is a real prospect now of the international community losing all control of this very, very volatile conflict.' He said there was only a 'very small' number of Irish citizens, many dual nationals, seeking an evacuation, and they were working with European counterparts. He said a significant update on this would be available in the hours ahead. 'Thank god we woke this morning to the International Atomic Energy Agency saying they haven't detected any increase in radiation,' he told RTE Radio. 'But imagine if we were waking up this morning to a situation where radiation levels were extraordinarily high, and the health and human danger that that would have presented far beyond Iran as well. So this is an extraordinarily dangerous time.' He said that it was 'sadly true' that international legal norms are not being adhered to, citing the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Israel's 'genocidal activity' in Palestine and now the Iran-Israel conflict. He said there was a diplomatic process in train and his understanding from readouts was 'there was a commitment from the Iranian side to further talks'. Mr Harris said Ireland and Europe are 'fully united in the clear view' that Iran should not be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. 'The way to address this was always through a negotiated solution. Any alternative to that is simply too dangerous for civilians, for the Middle East region and for global security. 'Together with my EU counterparts, we will in the coming hours and days discuss and review the latest developments and consider the next steps Europe can usefully play to support de-escalation.' Minister for Culture Patrick O'Donovan said people woke up on Sunday 'terrified, really, to be quite honest, about the prospect of what's unfolding'. He told RTE's The Week In Politics it is 'terrifying' for citizens in Iran and Israel. 'It does take great people to make leaps of faith in particular places in time to come forward, whether it was in relation to (Anwar el-Sadat) in Egypt, and later on in relation to Bill Clinton and what he did, we do now require people to actually get people around the table,' he said. 'Because, ultimately, as the Taoiseach said, this is terrifying – not only for the innocent communities that are living in both countries, but as well as that for the neighbouring countries in the Middle East, who we obviously all hope are not drawn into a much bigger conflict.'
The Guardian
22 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Israel recovers bodies of three hostages held in Gaza
Israel announced on Sunday it had recovered the bodies of two civilians and one soldier held hostage in Gaza, amid its ongoing wars with Hamas and Iran. The Israeli military said it recovered the remains of hostages Ofra Keidar, Yonatan Samerano and staff sergeant Shay Levinson in an operation in Gaza on Saturday, more than 20 months after they were abducted by Hamas militants. 'In a special operation … the bodies of the hostages Ofra Keidar, Yonatan Samerano and staff sergeant Shay Levinson were recovered from the Gaza Strip yesterday,' the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement. The hostage families forum said in a statement the return of the bodies 'provides some comfort to the families who have waited in agony, uncertainty, and doubt for 625 days'. The group further urged the Israeli government to return the remaining 50 hostages from Gaza, which it said was the 'key to achieving complete victory'. The group described Samerano as 'a talented DJ who just wanted to make music, have fun, and travel'. Keidar, a 71-year-old, lived in the Be'eri kibbutz, where over a 100 people were killed. The return of the hostages came as some of the families of those abducted feared that Israel's war with Iran, which started on 13 June, would distract from efforts to return the remaining captives. Hamas-led miltiants took 251 people hostage during its 7 October 2023 attack in Israel, as well as killing 1,200 people. Of the remaining hostages, Israel believes about 30 to be dead. On Sunday, Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, called for the 'urgent release' of the remaining hostages after the US carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. 'This brave step serves the security and safety of the entire free world. I hope it will lead to a better future for the Middle East – and help advance the urgent release of our hostages held in captivity in Gaza,' Herzog wrote on X. Some families of the hostages protested against the Israeli government's resumption of the war in Gaza in March and have said a ceasefire is the only way to safely recover those remaining. Fighting resumed after Israel declined to move to a second phase of an agreed-upon ceasefire that could have led to a permanent end to the war. Israel continues its operations in Gaza, where more than 55,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed over the last 20 months.
