New York City Jewish organizations grappling with anti-Israel Zohran Mamdani’s stunning mayoral victory Tuesday night have vowed to hold the mayor-elect “fully accountable.”
“Tonight the quiet normalization of antisemitism just got very loud. For years, Mayor-elect Mamdani’s activism was steeped in coded language about Jews, performative boycotts, exclusion, and overt hostility toward Israel,” Sarah Forman, Executive Director of New York Solidarity Network said.
“Now, his views gain a platform with real consequences for the city that is home to the largest Jewish community in the diaspora,” she added.
Similarly the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York, Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, Anti-Defamation League of New York and New Jersey, American Jewish Committee of New York and the New York Board of Rabbis said in a joint statement they “cannot ignore that the Mayor-elect holds core beliefs fundamentally at odds with our community’s deepest convictions and most cherished values.”
“Our agenda remains clear,” the organizations said. “We will hold all elected officials, including Mayor-elect Mamdani, fully accountable for ensuring that New York remains a place where Jewish life and support for Israel are protected and can thrive.
“We will continue to confront, without hesitation, the alarming rise in antisemitism and hate crimes, and loudly call out any rhetoric or actions that delegitimize Israel or excuse antisemitism.”
The 34-year-old Mamdani, who frequently came under fire throughout the campaign for his anti-Israel ideology, soundly defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo 50.4% to 41.6%.
Long-shot Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa received just 7.1% of the votes.
