Just days before Zoran Mamdani emerged victorious in the New York mayoral race, Dutch voters chose Rob Jetten, a politician from the Netherlands, to lead the government as their next prime minister.
Mamdani, who is of Dutch descent, is an intriguing character.
The similarities between the two politicians are quite striking. Jetten, who leads the center-left D66 party, is also a 38-year-old who is personable, energetic, and quite adept at using social media, especially TikTok. He, like Mamdani, overcame expectations to unseat a long-standing incumbent and has campaigned primarily on issues like housing and a stance against Israel.
Both Mamdani and Jetten are breaking barriers; Mamdani will be New York’s first Muslim mayor, while Jetten will be the first openly gay prime minister and the youngest in Dutch history.
In New York, though, many might have preferred Jetten to replace Mamdani as mayor. While Jetten is aligned with left-leaning ideals, he doesn’t carry the same level of indignation as Mamdani. His views on contentious topics like immigration are more nuanced, and he has openly criticized Hamas.
Mamdani appears to harbor a certain grievance. He recently addressed what he described as an anti-Muslim attack from his opponent, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, during the campaign. Reflecting on his childhood post-9/11, he commented on the atmosphere of suspicion in New York. Although he and his fellow Muslims faced prejudice after those attacks, his tone suggests he’s got a score to settle. In comparison, Jetten’s campaign was more about a positive vision rather than grievance—seemingly reminiscent of President Obama’s approach.
When it comes to immigration policy, Mamdani has committed to ending deportations but seems to exclude illegal immigrants who commit crimes or pose security risks. “To reach one of us, it’s going to have to get through all of us,” he stated.
Jetten, on the other hand, has emphasized humane approaches to immigration, suggesting that asylum seekers submit claims outside the EU while also promising to address individuals who disrupt the system. This pragmatic stance has positioned him to counteract anti-immigrant and Islamophobic sentiments in Dutch politics.
Both politicians have criticized Israel in light of the Gaza conflict; yet, Jetten has clearly denounced Hamas, while Mamdani’s stance has been less definitive. When pressed on whether Hamas should disarm, Mamdani didn’t provide a straightforward answer, instead leaning towards advocating for peace without, perhaps, fully engaging with the complexities of the question.
Meanwhile, Jetten did not hesitate in his criticism of Hamas, expressing sympathy for Israeli victims. He described recent attacks as devastating and condemned the actions of Israel’s leaders regarding the ongoing conflict.
Pro-Israel commentators noted the substantial defeat of far-left parties in the recent Dutch elections, suggesting that Jetten might find allies among smaller right-wing factions that support Israel. “Overall, Dutch Jews and supporters of Israel felt a sense of relief. It could have been far worse,” was the tenor of the commentary.
In contrast, the sentiment in New York regarding Mamdani’s election is decidedly mixed.
