On Thursday, Jewish leaders criticized Zoran Mamdani, a democratic socialist mayoral candidate, for his consistent refusal to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.
Joseph Potanic, the executive vice president of the New York Ravis Committee, expressed that this issue is quite significant: “The Jews see this as a division line.”
Potanic highlighted, “There are 22 Arab Muslim states. In the world of Mamdani, there is no room for one Jewish nation. He does not want a Jewish nation.”
Mamdani, who serves as a pro-Palestinian legislative member in Queens and has supported the BDS movement against Israel, has grappled with this topic during his campaign for the Democratic mayoral position. During a primary debate on Wednesday night, he sidestepped the question once more.
“I think Israel has a right to exist,” Mamdani stated.
When moderators pressed for clarification, “As a Jewish nation?” Mamdani replied, “As a state with equal rights.” However, when asked to elaborate in a Thursday interview on Fox 5’s “Good Day New York,” he expressed discomfort with supporting a state defined by religion.
“Equality must be enforced by all countries, just as it is here,” he remarked.
Nilly Logic, an Israeli-born member of the Queens parliament, commented on Mamdani’s stance, stating, “He does not recognize the Jewish state and the right to exist. This dehumanizes Jews and creates unnecessary divisions in society.” She cautioned that such views are dangerous for anyone looking to hold high office.
Brooklyn Congressman Kalman Eager echoed this concern, suggesting it’s unsurprising for someone with visible anti-Semitic tendencies to fail to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. “His hatred of Jews seems endless,” he remarked.
Robert Zimmerman, a representative from the Democratic National Committee of New York and an Israeli Jew, criticized Mamdani’s remarks as being cold and dismissive of the Holocaust’s impact. “Mamdani clearly disregards the memories of the six million Jews lost in the Holocaust,” he stated.
Jewish civil rights organizations, including the Prevention League, have indicated that the BDS movement, while critiquing anti-Semitism, ultimately aims to undermine the world’s sole Jewish nation.
Mamdani is currently in second place in the polls, trailing former Governor Andrew Cuomo. Notably, Cuomo received support from the Farlock Away Jewish Alliance, indicating backing from the conservative, ultra-Orthodox Jewish community.
