During the majority of his striking turnout in the mayor’s race in New York City, Zohran Mamdani and young voters have attracted a series of campaign-Vrité videos, an airy mix of street wisdom and personality-controlled messages.
But on Friday Mr Mamdani noticed that he quickly prepared a much more sober video to defend himself against the false perception that he had refused to condemn the Holocaust.
His quick response Illustrated how the position of a candidate on Israel and Jewish issues, especially during the division of Israel-Gaza, could reject the importance in the Democratic Primary on 24 June.
The primary comes at a precarious moment for the Jewish community of the city, the largest outside of Israel. The Trump government has cited concern about anti -Semitism as a primary reason to reduce financing to elite universities and to deport students and retain the war in Gaza.
Hate crimes against Jewish people are increasing in New York City. In 2024, according to the police, 52 percent of the reported hate crimes against Jews was. The trend continued in the first quarter of 2025, when 60 percent of hate crimes were committed against Jews.
The Fallout is the Race for Mayor. The UJA federation of New York, an influential Jewish service organization, asks mayor candidates in a survey if they sign an executive order that all city agencies require to “accept and implement” Work definition of anti -Semitism from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.
“Just like Black Lives Matter in that election season, the Afro -American community issue, in the same way, was in this election cycle, anti -Semitism is the number 1 issue for every Jew, regardless of your background,” said David G. Greenfield, Chief Executive of Futrijdoration, a non -proofitr. “I think every politician who is smart understands that.”
But for many politicians, including some Jewish, the issue is more nuanced. Brad Lander, the City Comproller that runs for mayor, is a reform Jew that considered becoming rabbi. He is also an anti-winnel Netanyahu critic. Mr. Mamdani, who is Muslim, defends his use of the term ‘genocide’ to describe Israel’s actions against Gaza. He also said in his video on Friday that his campaign had suggested spending more money to combat anti -Semitism than all others, and that he would “protect Jewish New Yorkers.”
Less nuance is seen in the position adopted by the leader, former government Andrew M. Cuomo, an avid supporter of Israel who has tried to use anti -Semitism as a ram against his opponents and the left flank of the Democratic Party while looking back to the chosen office.
Mr. Cuomo spoke to the institutional synagogue of the west side last month and launched a broad sign against three of his opponents, including Mr Lander, whom he described as “helping and supporting the most aggressive anti-Israeli policy.”
Mr Lander responded the next day with an expletive Yiddish sentence. “I only curse Yiddish when I’m really pissed off,” he said. He then appeared at the same synagogue that Mr. Cuomo was present to respond more detailed.
“Somehow we Jews have become political pawns for politicians who try to score political points,” said Mr Lander during his speech. “Do you see something or someone you don’t like? Call anti -Semitism, in a cheap, Craven attempt to lure in Jewish support. All for political gain.”
Scott M. Stringer, the former competent and the other Jewish candidate in the race, also spoke with the synagogue. He confirmed his dedication to the Jewish community again and said that he was “shocked” by Mr. Cuomo’s “cynical and honestly pathetic, attempts to distribute the city and this community.”
In New York City there are not many tires stronger than those that connect his mayor with Israel and his supporters. Every mayor since Vincent R. Imlitteri visited Jerusalem in 1951, and has almost every great democratic candidate this year, apart from Mr. Mamdani, sworn to do the same if chosen.
Voting math explains why. New Yorkers with distinctive Jewish surnames represent 13 percent of the 4.6 million active registered voters of the city, according to Jerry Skurnik, a senior consultant for Engage Voters US, a political consultancy. Of those voters, 62 percent are Democrats and 16 percent Republicans.
They represented 26 percent of the rise in the Democratic Mayoral Primary 2021, and the uniform orthodox support behind Eric Adams helped him to win that year. This year the battle for the Jewish mood is as pronounced as always, even if it is perhaps more spread in view of the growing gap over the continuous offensive of Israel in Gaza.
“We knew that this would happen because of the war between Israel and Hamas and the destruction of Gaza and how much New Yorkers pay attention to the return of the hostages,” said Phylisa Wisdom, executive director of the New York Jewish agenda. “People talk a lot about this in synagogues and Jewish coalitions in the city.”
In a recent poll by Siena College, Jewish voters identified who tackles discrimination as the fourth most important issue that the following mayor should give priority, behind affordable homes, in support of unpaid caregivers and New Yorkers allow them to stay in their homes as they get older.
In a recent marital poll, Mr Cuomo led with 26 percent of Jewish voters who ranked him as their first choice. Mr. Lander was at 17 percent, followed by Mr Mamdani at 14 percent and Adams, the municipal council speaker, at 10 percent. Another 16 percent of Jewish voters said they were undecided.
Mayor Adams, who was not included in the poll, is planning to walk independently in November and still has the Jewish voice in mind. He collects signatures to run on a self -written “Endantisemitism” line. And last week, flanked by rabbis and other Jewish leaders in the town hall, he launched the office to put an end to anti -Semitism to combat the rise of Jewish hate crimes.
Most prominent Jewish leaders did not say who they intend to withdraw to the General elections of November. But the treasury of Fix the City, a Super Pac, tailored to Mr Cuomo’s interests, are fulfilled by strong supporters of Israel, such as Bill Ackman, the billionaire Hedgefonds Manager and Trump supporter and the investor Daniel Loeb. Each donated $ 250,000.
Mr. Cuomo is still confronted persistent resentment Of some in the Hasidic community on limitations and rules that he imposed on houses of worship and masks that wear during the Coronavirus Pandemie. He is encouraged to apologize, his advisers confirmed.
In private meetings with chassidic sects and in interviews with Orthodox publications, Mr Cuomo suggested that he would have treated some pandemic decisions differently, such as more consultation with Jewish leaders about the implementation of red zones in Jewish neighborhoods where Covid Spiking was limited. Many heavily orthodox areas were affected.
Mr. Cuomo has sometimes promised more than he delivered. Last year he promised to launch an interest group to fight what he called the emergence of anti-Israel-sentiment of the left wing of the Democratic Party, but the organization Little accomplished in the direction of the declared goal.
Mr. Cuomo refused to be interviewed for this article. His spokesperson, Rich Azzopardi, pointed to the consistent support of the former Governor of Israel, including An executive order forbid national agencies to do business with companies that support Boycott, disinvestment and sanctions movementJust like his journey to the country.
“Everyone who suggests that anti -Semitism is not a problem in this city and the state is in a state of denial,” said Mr Azzopardi. “The band of Andrew Cuomo with the Jewish community is strong, deep and unwavering.”
The attacks on Mr Mamdani of some Israel supporters have focused on his support for the boycott, disinvestment and sanctions that are moving and conviction that anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitism.
More recently, he came across criticism of accepting an approval by former representative Jamaal Bowman, who lost his primary for re-election after pro-Israeli groups last year Goot millions of dollars In the race.
“My politics is always driven by a dedication to the universal application of human rights, international law and the dignity and freedom of all people without exception,” said Mr. Mamdani in an interview.
Just like Mr Cuomo, Mr. Mamdani has raised his reach to the Jewish community and at least attended at least seven public and private meetings with Jewish leaders and groups in the past month, including the legislative breakfast of the Council or Jewish organizations of Flatbush.
Kalman Yeger, a state assemblyer and former councilor from Brooklyn who represents a large orthodox population, was offensive of the presence of Mr Mamdani. During a speech during breakfast, he said that some attendees had shaken hands with “one of the most mean anti -Semites” in the public office.
The comments have led A spit on social media With one of the supporters of Mr. Mamdani, Chi Ossé, a black councilor from Brooklyn, who called Mr. Yeger Racist. Yet Mr Yeger said that many of his voters believed that anti -Semitism was an “existential crisis.”
In Video released on FridayMr Mamdani emphasized that he also abhorred anti-Semitism and said that he had voted every year for a Holocaust Remembrance Day resolution that he was criticized because he was not sponsored earlier this year. He said Friday on Friday that he recognized Israel’s right to exist.
“This election,” said Mr. Mamdani in the video, “we see the real crisis of anti -Semitism and the pain of Jewish New Yorkers who are armed as a political talk point.”
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