I’m a Jewish Israeli New Yorker—and I’m Voting for Zohran

Two weeks ago, while I was canvassing for Zohran Mamdani in Brooklyn, a Jewish woman opened the door, saw my campaign flyers, pointed at the Mezuzah attached to her doorframe, and closed the door. If she had only given me a minute, I would have told her that I, too, am Jewish, and that I was born and raised in Israel. I would have explained why I support Mamdani, and why some of the things she has read about him aren’t true.

I have spoken with dozens of Jews who are excited to vote for Mamdani—young parents who support his plan for free childcare, tenants longing for him to freeze their rent, or people who want to ride the bus for free and buy cheaper groceries. These are policies that would probably be just as popular in Tel Aviv, another city growing unaffordable for its residents.

Yet, since Mamdani’s decisive win in the June primary elections, the media and political establishment have fixated on one thing: his supposed antisemitism. Even now, when the campaign is almost over, journalists are badgering Mamdani about Israel. Rabbis are warning that New York will no longer be safe for Jews. Republicans and Democrats alike accuse him of “supporting global jihad” and “calling for violence against Jewish people.” Some, like Mamdani’s main opponent, Andrew Cuomo, have even insinuated that Mamdani would celebrate another 9/11.

Earlier this summer, Democrats like Senator Kirsten Gillibrand were forced to apologize after it became obvious that they were, undoubtedly, lying about Mamdani’s views. But the ease with which public figures jump to make up stories about Mamdani, while fully knowing that they’re lying to the public, is concerning. Make no mistake—they’re relying on people being so scared of a Muslim man that they’ll happily believe all allegations of terrorism without any need for proof. This isn’t just Islamophobic; it’s an outright insult to our intelligence.

Let’s be clear about Mamdani’s actual record. The claims that he supports violent jihad are baseless. He has never spoken negatively about Jewish people. On the contrary, he consistently calls antisemitism a serious problem and has released extensive policy proposals to protect Jewish New Yorkers. His platform includes increasing funding to prevent hate crimes and appointing a senior adviser in City Hall to tackle antisemitism.

Moreover, he has specifically condemned the killing of Israeli civilians, including on October 7, and has consistently advocated for nonviolent political resistance. A couple of weeks ago, he attended a vigil for Israeli and Palestinian victims and condemned Hamas’s violations of international law. But Israel’s defenders are still furious because Mamdani also centers the 67,000 Palestinians Israel killed in Gaza in the last two years, and calls for Israel to end its illegal occupation of Palestinian land and uphold equal rights for all its citizens.

In interview after interview, Mamdani faces the same questions: “What about Hamas?” (he condemned them). “Does Israel have a right to exist?” (yes, but not as an ethnonationalist state). “Why won’t you travel to Israel as mayor?” (because that’s not the mayor’s job).

This isn’t a good-faith discussion, and Mamdani’s refusal to play along reflects a wider rejection of electoral politics where the Israel lobby acts as a kingmaker. Mamdani is making headlines by challenging a system in which the city’s mayor—a domestic position—must pledge allegiance to a foreign country before he is deemed an acceptable leader.

This entire spectacle also comes with glaring double standards. While Mamdani is relentlessly interrogated, Andrew Cuomo is never pressed about his support for a government accused of systematic war crimes. Considering Cuomo’s history of supporting Benjamin Netanyahu at the ICC, why isn’t he repeatedly asked in interviews about Israel’s violations of international law, or his decision to join Netanyahu’s legal team? It is a clear signal about who is presumed guilty and who is given a pass.

As an Israeli, the only “terrorist sympathizer” I see in this race is the man who won’t condemn the killing of thousands of children, and who thinks Israel can bomb civilians indiscriminately—not the man demanding that Israel allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. And as a woman, the only candidate who threatens my safety is the former governor who harassed multiple women and was forced to resign.

I’ve never seen Israelis so fixated on a New York City election. Family members are calling to ask for my take, my Twitter feed is filling up with Hebrew commentary on Mamdani (with even some of the leftists running scared), and Israeli journalists claim his election threatens their entire country. God forbid a man who thinks Israel should be an “all-its-citizens” state become the mayor of a city 9,000 kilometers away.

Ultimately, Mamdani will likely win because no amount of baseless attacks can compete with the popularity of policies that make the city more affordable—and because people see his principled stand on Gaza and Israel as a good thing, not a reason to fear him. But Israelis watching from afar seem bewildered at the idea that their warnings haven’t worked, and that so many New Yorkers remain unfazed by the manufactured hysteria over Mamdani’s views. Failing to understand why New Yorkers would prioritize their own material basic needs over a country oceans away that repeatedly violates international law might explain why Hasbara is losing its grip over American voters.