Mamdani will be strong ally for Jewish community in NYC: Anti-Zionist Jewish leader

By Press TV Website Staff

In the quiet hours after Tuesday’s ballots were counted, New York began to absorb the news: Zohran Mamdani had been elected mayor, defeating former state governor Andrew Cuomo.

For Rabbi Moishe Indig, a prominent Jewish community leader in Brooklyn, the moment felt like vindication. Just two days before the election, he had publicly endorsed Mamdani.

Weeks earlier, Mamdani had met with members of the Satmar Jewish community, including Rabbi Indig. The two were photographed together, smiling and shaking hands.

When the results came in, Rabbi Indig was among the first to offer congratulations to Mamdani.

Speaking to the Press TV website, Rabbi Indig said the Jewish community of New York City wishes Mayor-elect Mamdani “the best” as he assembles his administration to lead the city.

“We met him several times before the election and were impressed by his vision, including free childcare for every New Yorker aged 6 weeks to 5 years, building more affordable housing, lowering costs of living, standing up to antisemitism, and ensuring our community’s safety and security,” he said.

“I’m confident he will be a strong ally for our community and all New Yorkers. We pray for his success, as his success will be our success.”

Rabbi Indig was impressed by Mamdani’s message, which gave him hope that he would be able to lead the city where nearly one million Jews live, scattered across five boroughs.

Across New York, many Jewish organizations echoed that sentiment. Jews for Racial and Economic Justice posted on Instagram: “Mazel Tov, Zohran Mamdani. Mazel Tov, NYC.”

Jewish Voice for Peace Action also congratulated him: “Mazel Tov! Mabrouk! Movements just changed the course of history. This victory belongs to all of us. The struggle continues – onward.”

In Brooklyn, the United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg and North Brooklyn expressed hope that Mamdani would lead the city toward “safety, affordability, and prosperity – while protecting our community’s freedom to live our religious life without government intrusion.”

In the lead-up to the election, US President Donald Trump launched an aggressive campaign against Mamdani, the 34-year-old American-Indian candidate for mayor.

He urged Jewish voters to reject Mamdani, accusing him of antisemitism.

On Truth Social, Trump referred to Mamdani as a “self-professed Jew hater,” in an oblique reference to Mamdani’s outspoken criticism of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

Yet the election results told a more complex story.

According to CNN exit polls, 33 percent of Jewish voters supported Mamdani, many of them young voters, suggesting that Trump’s warnings did not resonate across the board.

Mamdani won the mayoral election with 1,036,051 votes, securing 50.4 percent of the total. His main opponent, Andrew Cuomo, secured 854,995 votes, accounting for 41.6 percent.

In a historic turnout, over 2 million voters took part in the election, the highest for a mayoral race since 1969, according to US media reports, crediting it to Mamdani’s growing popularity.

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