Who's Afraid of Zohran Mamdani? How the Mayoral Race Has Divided Jews in New York [View all]

[Celerity]

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/podcasts/2025-11-03/ty-article-podcast/whos-afraid-of-zohran-mamdani-how-the-mayoral-race-has-divided-jews-in-new-york/0000019a-4a0d-d298-a7db-fa0f88b70000

https://archive.ph/a32PT


Zohran Mamdani campaigning in Manhattan with Liz Krueger, a Jewish New York State senator, last week. Credit: Charly Triballeau/AFP

The prospect of a New York City mayor who "won't march in the Israel Day Parade, will not travel to Israel, who will divest from Israel" with a history of pro-Palestinian advocacy has brought many Jews to a place of "caution and worry" as they choose the city's next leader, New York political reporter Jacob Kornbluh said on the Haaretz Podcast.

At the same time, he stressed, despite the "fear campaign" that Jewish leaders and rabbis pursued against the 34-year-old Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, a large number of Jewish New Yorkers were casting their ballots for the man poised to make history as the city's first Muslim mayor.

Leading up to Tuesday's election, Kornbluh noted "a changing mood among Jewish voters who say they disagree with Mamdani" and were "worried" about his positions on Israel – but "since they hate [Independent candidate] Andrew Cuomo, since they are Democrats, and since they want to participate in this election, they will hold their nose and vote for Mamdani."

University administrator Dov Scheindlin, who is voting for Mamdani, also spoke with host Allison Kaplan Sommer on the podcast and explained the reasons for his choice despite disagreeing with the candidate on issues related to Israel. "On a personal level, I feel Mamdani's demonstrated a tremendous commitment to the Jews of New York City," Scheindlin said, attributing the candidate's stated position as a reflection of his "sympathy with the Palestinians and a sense that the cause of Palestinian self-determination has been inhibited by the unfettered support for Israel the United States has offered."

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