Israel fumes at election of Mamdani as NYC mayor over his pro-Palestine stance

Israeli ministers reacted with outrage to the election of Zohran Mamdani as New York’s next mayor, unleashing a barrage of accusations against the 34-year-old Democratic socialist and longtime advocate for Palestinian rights.

Mamdani, the first Muslim elected to lead America’s largest city, has condemned Israel's military offensive in Gaza as genocide and pledged to honor an international arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called Mamdani’s victory “a moment when antisemitism triumphed over common sense,” saying the mayor-elect is a “supporter of Hamas.” Ben-Gvir said Mamdani is falsely claiming "that we are committing genocide."

Opposition leader Avigdor Liberman echoed the rhetoric, describing Mamdani as “a racist, populist, and avowed Islamist.” Liberman urged New York Jews to immigrate to Israel, claiming the city had elected “the poster boy for silent jihad.”

Israel’s minister of diaspora affairs, Amichai Chikli, escalated the tone, accusing Mamdani of sympathizing with “rapists and murderers.” Chikli said New York City was “walking into an abyss,” urging the Jewish community to relocate.

Heritage minister Amichay Eliyahu accused Jewish New Yorkers who supported Mamdani of being “Jews who hate Jews.”

Deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel also claimed that Mamdani’s views endangered New York’s Jewish community, describing his victory as “deeply troubling.”

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The backlash from Tel Aviv contrasted sharply with reactions in the Arab world and progressive Jewish circles in the United States.

Ayman Odeh, leader of Israel’s Hadash-Ta’al alliance, praised the election, calling it “a clear message that communities can choose leaders of justice, equality, and solidarity.” Odeh said Mamdani’s victory showed that “a different future is possible” for Palestinians and Israelis alike.

Hadash-Ta’al MK Ofer Cassif, the party’s sole Jewish lawmaker, said “those who smear and hate" Mamdani “are solely those who are afraid of justice.” He said, “They are those who do evil, and it is good that they are afraid.”

Mamdani’s election marks a historic break from New York’s decades-long tradition of pro-Israel mayors. The victory comes amid intensifying global backlash against Israel’s two-year campaign of genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.

According to political analysts, the reaction from Israeli officials underscores growing frustration in Tel Aviv as US public opinion — particularly among younger voters — increasingly scrutinizes the regime’s conduct and war crimes against Palestinians.

Mamdani, a longtime advocate of Palestinian self-determination, has rejected accusations of antisemitism and vowed to combat hate in all forms.

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