Internewscast Journal
  • Home
  • US News
  • Local News
  • Health
  • People
  • Guest Post
  • Support Our Cause
Internewscast Journal
  • Home
  • US News
  • Local News
  • Health
  • People
  • Guest Post
  • Support Our Cause
Home Local news How New York City’s Predominantly Jewish Democratic Voters Supported a Pro-Critical Israel Candidate for Mayor
  • Local news

How New York City’s Predominantly Jewish Democratic Voters Supported a Pro-Critical Israel Candidate for Mayor

    How Democrats in America’s most Jewish city embraced a critic of Israel for New York mayor
    Up next
    Trump megabill narrowly advances in Senate despite two GOP defections
    Trump’s Major Legislation Passes Senate by Slim Margin Amid Two GOP Defections
    Published on 29 June 2025
    Author
    Internewscast
    Tags
    • Aiyana Leong Knauer,
    • Americas,
    • Andrew Cuomo,
    • Benjamin Netanyahu,
    • Beth Miller,
    • brad lander,
    • city,
    • critic,
    • Curtis Sliwa,
    • Democrats,
    • Donald Trump,
    • Elections,
    • embraced,
    • eric adams,
    • for,
    • Hank Sheinkopf,
    • how,
    • Israel,
    • Jewish,
    • Maya Kornberg,
    • mayor,
    • Most,
    • New,
    • Politics,
    • Ramon Maislen,
    • Religion,
    • Shimon Hecht,
    • Washington news,
    • York
    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest

    NEW YORK – The Democratic Party in New York City, which has a significant Jewish population, has selected Zohran Mamdani, a noted critic of Israel, as their candidate for mayor. This decision has caused concern among the city’s Jewish community and indicates a shift in the priorities of one of the party’s most steadfast voting bases.

    Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist, demonstrated a strong showing against former Governor Andrew Cuomo, highlighting that opposition to Israel is no longer a barrier in a Democratic primary. As a state Assembly member, Mamdani has refrained from endorsing Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, not condemned the phrase “global intifada,” and supports a campaign aimed at exerting economic pressure on Israel through boycotts and similar strategies.

    Yet he excelled in the city with the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, and with the support of many Jewish voters.

    Mamdani’s rise signifies a shift in the political views of many American Jews following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli military actions in Gaza. Many Democratic voters, Jews included, have become increasingly critical of Israel’s actions during the conflict and of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership, especially younger, more progressive supporters who have challenged the idea that being anti-Israel is inherently antisemitic.

    For others, Mamdani’s showing has spurred new fears about safety and the waning influence of Jewish voters in a city where anti-Jewish hate crime has surged. Last year, Jews were the target of more than half of the hate crimes in the city.

    “Definitely people are concerned,” said Rabbi Shimon Hecht, of Congregation B’nai Jacob in Brooklyn, who said he has heard from congregants in recent days who hope Mamdani will be beaten in the November general election, where he will face Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent, Republican Curtis Sliwa, and possibly Cuomo, if he stays in the race.

    “I think like every upsetting election, it’s a wake-up call for people,” Hecht said. “I strongly believe that he will not be elected as our next mayor, but it’s going to take a lot of uniting among the Jewish people and others who are concerned about these issues. We have to unify.”

    Veteran New York Democratic political strategist Hank Sheinkopf put it more bluntly, predicting a hasty exodus of religious Jews from the city and a decline in long-standing Jewish influence that would be replicated elsewhere.

    “It’s the end of Jewish New York as we know it,” he said, adding: “New York is a petri dish for national Democratic politics. And what happened here is what will likely happen in cities across the country.”

    Israel was a key campaign issue

    Mamdani’s top Democratic rival, the former governor, had called antisemitism and support for Israel “the most important issue” of the campaign.

    Mamdani’s backers repeatedly accused Cuomo of trying to weaponize the issue. Many drew parallels to the way Republican President Donald Trump has cast any criticism of Israel’s actions as antisemitic, claiming Jews who vote for Democrats “hate Israel” and their own religion.

    For some Mamdani supporters, the election results signaled a rejection by voters of one of Cuomo’s arguments: that an upstart socialist with pro-Palestinian views posed a threat to New York’s Jewish community.

    Many were focused on issues such as affordability in a notoriously expensive city, or flat-out opposed to Cuomo, who was forced to resign in disgrace amid sexual harassment allegations.

    Aiyana Leong Knauer, a 35-year-old Brooklyn bartender who is Jewish and backed Mamdani, said the vote represented “New Yorkers, many of them Jewish, saying we care more about having an affordable city than sowing division.”

    “Many of us take really deep offense to our history being weaponized against us,” she said. “Jewish people all over the world have well-founded fears for their safety, but Jews in New York are safe overall.”

    Others agreed with Mamdani’s views on Israel.

    Beth Miller, political director of Jewish Voice for Peace Action, an anti-Zionist, progressive group that worked on Mamdani’s behalf, said Mamdani “was actually pretty popular among a lot of Jewish voters.”

    “That is not in spite of his support for Palestinian rights. That is because of his support for Palestinian rights,” she said. “There has been a massive rupture within the Jewish community and more and more Jews of all generations, but especially younger generations,” she said, now refuse to be tied to what they see as a rogue government committing atrocities against civilians.

    Polls show support for Israel has declined since the war began. Overall, a slight majority of Americans now express a “somewhat” or “very” unfavorable opinion of Israel, according to a March Pew Research Center poll, compared with 42% in 2022. Democrats’ views are particularly negative, with nearly 70% holding an unfavorable opinion versus less than 40% of Republicans.

    Beyond the mayoral race

    Mamdani’s wasn’t the only race where Israel was on voters’ minds.

    In Brooklyn, City Councilwoman Shahana Hanif, who represents Park Slope and surrounding areas, drew criticism for her Palestinian advocacy. Some said she had failed to respond forcefully to antisemitic incidents in the district.

    Yet Hanif, the first Muslim woman elected to the City Council, easily beat her top challenger, Maya Kornberg, who is Jewish, despite an influx of money from wealthy, pro-Israel groups and donors.

    That outcome dismayed Ramon Maislen, a developer who launched Brooklyn BridgeBuilders to oppose Hanif’s reelection and said antisemitism did not seem to resonate with voters.

    “We were very disappointed with our neighbors’ response,” he said.

    While campaigning against Hanif, he said he was routinely screamed at by residents and accused of supporting genocide.

    “I think that those of us in the Jewish community that are attuned to that are cognizant that there’s been some kind of cultural sea change that’s occurring,” he said. “What we’re seeing is a legitimatization of hatred that isn’t happening in any other liberal or progressive space.”

    Mamdani’s record and rhetoric

    Mamdani has repeatedly pledged to fight antisemitism, including during an appearance on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” where he was grilled on his stance. He was joined on the show by city comptroller and fellow candidate Brad Lander, the city’s highest-ranking Jewish official, who had cross-endorsed him. He has also said he would increase funding for anti-hate crime programming by 800%.

    But many of his comments have angered Jewish groups and officials, most notably his refusal to disavow the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which has been used as a slogan in recent protests. Many Jews see it as a call to violence against Israeli civilians. In a podcast interview, Mamdani said the phrase captured a “a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights.”

    Mamdani also supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which aims to pressure governments, schools and other institutions to boycott Israeli products, divest from companies that support the country, and impose sanctions. The Anti-Defamation League calls it antisemitic and part of a broader campaign to “delegitimize and isolate the State of Israel.”

    Mamdani has also said that, as mayor, he would arrest Netanyahu if the Israeli leader tried to enter the city.

    The ADL in a statement Thursday warned candidates and their supporters not to use “language playing into dangerous antisemitic canards that time and time again have been used to incite hatred and violence against Jews.”

    In his victory speech, Mamdani alluded to the criticism he’d received and said he would not abandon his beliefs. But he also said he would “reach further to understand the perspectives of those with whom I disagree and to wrestle deeply with those disagreements.”

    ___ Associated Press writer Jake Offenhartz contributed to this report.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest
    You May Also Like
    Las Vegas nonprofit combats veteran suicide with trikes
    • Local news

    Las Vegas Nonprofit Uses Trikes to Fight Veteran Suicide

    If you or a loved one are experiencing mental distress, please call…
    • Internewscast
    • July 2, 2025
    RCSO announces plans for safe Fourth of July in Downtown Augusta
    • Local news

    The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office Shares Strategies for a Secure Fourth of July Celebration in Downtown Augusta

    AUGUSTA, Ga. () – The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office has provided information…
    • Internewscast
    • July 3, 2025
    7-Eleven worker dies after she was allegedly attacked by manager
    • Local news

    7-Eleven employee passes away following alleged attack by manager

    A woman who family members say was attacked by her manager at…
    • Internewscast
    • July 3, 2025
    4 dead, 14 wounded in late-night Chicago drive-by, police say
    • Local news

    Chicago Drive-by Shooting Leaves 4 Dead and 14 Injured, Authorities Report

    CHICAGO (WGN) — Four individuals lost their lives and 14 others sustained…
    • Internewscast
    • July 3, 2025
    Senior Citizens Inc. collecting box fans for older adults in need
    • Local news

    Senior Citizens Inc. Seeks Box Fan Donations for Elderly in Need

    In Savannah, Ga., Senior Citizens Inc. (SCI) has given out more than…
    • Internewscast
    • July 3, 2025
    One of the largest theater chains in the US again files for bankruptcy
    • Local news

    Major U.S. Theater Chain Files for Bankruptcy Once More

    SKOKIE, Ill. For the second time in five years, Cinemax Holdings USA…
    • Internewscast
    • July 2, 2025
    Port Canaveral moves forward planning new cruise terminals for record demand
    • Local news

    Port Canaveral Advances Plans for New Cruise Terminals to Meet High Demand

    PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. – Years in the making, the next cruise terminals…
    • Internewscast
    • July 3, 2025
    Solar power streetlights get started in Augusta
    • Local news

    Augusta Launches Solar-Powered Streetlights

    AUGUSTA, Ga. () – For Augusta drivers, it’s a first when it…
    • Internewscast
    • July 2, 2025
    Rain, rain won’t go away: Stalled front keeps Florida soggy. Check your holiday weekend forecast
    • Local news

    Persistent Rainfall: Stalled Front Keeps Florida Wet – Holiday Weekend Weather Update

    ORLANDO, Fla. – As the Fourth of July weekend approaches, Central Florida…
    • Internewscast
    • July 3, 2025
    Hotels and homes evacuated on Greek island of Crete as wildfire burns out of control
    • Local news

    Wildfires Force Evacuations of Hotels and Homes on Crete Island

    ATHENS – A fierce wildfire, driven by powerful winds, blazed through Wednesday…
    • Internewscast
    • July 3, 2025
    Bryan Kohberger guilty plea supported by victim's family
    • Local news

    Bryan Kohberger Takes Plea Deal without Disclosing Motive

    () As a judge accepted a plea deal from Idaho suspect Bryan…
    • Internewscast
    • July 2, 2025
    Chicago NASCAR race will be 'full-contact affair': Parker Kligerman
    • Local news

    Parker Kligerman Predicts Chicago NASCAR Race Will Be a High-Intensity Event

    Not sure how to find on your TV? Find your channel here. …
    • Internewscast
    • July 3, 2025
    Man who chained up girlfriend says she did it herself: Cops
    • Crime

    Man Who Imprisoned Girlfriend for Infidelity Receives Sentencing

    Inset: Moises May in court (WDRB/YouTube). Background: Bodycam footage of police…
    • Internewscast
    • July 3, 2025
    Dua Lipa’s Tour Pushes Her Latest Album Back To The Charts
    • Business

    Dua Lipa’s Concerts Propel Her Recent Album Back Into the Charts

    Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism reenters five U.K. charts after her concerts in…
    • Internewscast
    • July 3, 2025

    ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ Season 10 Preview: Jesse Palmer, Hannah Brown, and Wells Adams Hint at Exciting Changes: “Everything’s About to Change, for Better and for Worse”

    After a year away from the beach, it’s finally nearing “almost…
    • Internewscast
    • July 3, 2025
    Bryan Kohberger at a court hearing.
    • US

    Bryan Kohberger’s Chilling Break-In: A Detailed Account of the Idaho Student Murders

    BRYAN Kohberger disclosed the details of his heinous act of killing four…
    • Internewscast
    • July 3, 2025
    Internewscast Journal
    • Home
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Guest Post
    • Support Our Cause
    Copyright 2023. All Right Reserverd.