The city of New York, with a total population of more than eight million and two million Jews, is the second most Jewish population in the world, after the homeland of Israel. Now, when the election of the mayor in 2025 is booming, Democratic candidate Zohran Maddani has become the focus figure. He started as a member of the state parliament, belonging to the Democratic Socialist camp, and in the early years has been strongly critical of Israeli policy. Now, he leads the crowd, but many leaders of the Jewish community have openly stood up and sounded the alarm clock, saying that if Maddani came to power, the safety of local Jewish residents would be at risk. More specifically, they feared that Maddani's position in the intersection supported anti-Semitism, especially in the context of the esc
In June 2025, Mamdani won the Democratic primary elections and defeated opponents including the current mayor Eric Adams. At that time, he openly expressed his support for the Palestinian cause and opposed Israeli military operations in Gaza. More than once in debates and interviews, he accused Israel of genocide crimes, and also supported the resistance, withdrawal of funds and sanctions of the Israeli BDS movement. These views were popular among progressive voters in New York, but for the Jewish community, they were like roots. After the primary elections, Mamdani's census support rate steadily rose, and by mid-October, according to the AARP and Tango census, he had 43.2% of support, overturning former governor Andrew Moko's 28.9% and Republican candidate Curtis
The Jewish community's concerns are not groundless. Since 2024, the conflict in Gaza has intensified, and anti-Semitic incidents have occurred frequently in New York. According to the Anti-Defamation League, anti-Semitic incidents across the city increased by 18% in 2024 compared with the previous year, and by the first quarter of 2025, they accounted for 62% of all hate crimes. These include graffiti, attacks and clashes during marches. Mamdani's remarks were seen as adding fuel to the fire. For example, at a rally in April 2025, he did not explicitly condemn the slogan of "global uprising," which many interpreted as inciting violence against Jews, although Mamdani later said under pressure that he would not encourage the use of the term, but did not withdraw it completely. Jewish leaders felt this showed his neglect of community sensitivities.
On Saturday, October 18, Rabbi Elliot Kosgrov of the Jewish Synagogue at Park Avenue spoke outright in his sermon. He told believers that Mamdani posed a threat to the safety of the Jewish community in New York. Kosgrov listed Mamdani’s appearances in the debate, such as the last debate on October 17, when Mamdani accused Israel of genocide three times, and reiterated that if Netanyahu arrived in New York, he would execute the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Netanyahu in May 2024, accusing him of involvement in war crimes, including deliberately causing civilian hunger. The United States has not joined the court, so the rule of law has not been enforced, but the Mad
On October 19, the American Jewish Committee issued a statement supporting Cosgrove's views. They pointed out that Mamdani recognized Israel's right to exist in the June debate, but refused to recognize its legitimacy as a Jewish state. It was seen as a strategy to divide Jewish identity. The committee also mentioned that Mamdani's * Socialist Organization has promoted multiple anti-Israel resolutions in the past few years, such as supporting BDS in the city council, which has made the Jewish community feel marginalized. On October 20, more than 650 rabbis and Jewish leaders signed an open letter warning that Mamdani's election would encourage hostility towards Jews and may affect daily security. The letter details Mamdani's avoidance of meeting with the business community in July. Although he won't use "global uprising", he didn't condemn its violent meaning.
The media got involved, too. Fox News on the Oct. 21 episode of Fox & Friends, host Lawrence Jones commented on clips of Cosgrove's sermon. He said that Mamdani's intention was to weaken the influence of the Jewish community and not even recognize the existence of the Jewish state. Citing polls, Jones said that despite the constant criticism, Mamdani still has support among Jewish voters, which is quite shocking. He advised the rabbis to talk more to the community, because the numbers show that the voters are deeply divided. The program also interviewed Jewish residents on the street, some of whom worried that the mayor's position would affect the cooperation between new york and Israel, such as cultural exchanges or economic and trade.
The opponent is not idle either. Andrew Cuomo, a former governor, has a clear pro-Israel stance. He also volunteered to join Netanyahu's legal defense team in November 2024. On October 22, Como publicly supported the rabbis 'letter after the debate, saying Mamdani was not responsible for community security. Como used the Jewish Council statement to emphasize that the rights of ethnic minorities should not be ignored in the election. Republican candidate Curtis Sliva also criticized Mamdani for his anti-Semitic tendencies and called on voters to consider these warnings when voting on November 4. Sliva pointed out that Mamdani's promise is unrealistic because the mayor cannot manage federal diplomacy, but it will spark street protests.
Mamdani responded that the allegations were smearing by opponents. He emphasized his commitment to the rights of all New Yorkers, including Jewish residents, and met privately with some rabbis to discuss concerns. But he did not change his core stance. For example, in an interview on September 12, he detailed plans to arrest Netanyahu, saying it showed New York upheld international law. Experts analyzed that the mayor has no authority, which may be illegal because the United States does not recognize the International Criminal Court. But Mamdani insisted that legal avenues would be exhausted. On October 4, he tried to reassure Jewish voters in a CNN interview, saying he condemned Hamas and formed an alliance with liberal Jewish officials. But critics feel that this is not enough because he has not given up on BDS support.
The election came to an end, with early voting starting on October 26. Mamdani’s strengths stable, but criticisms from the Jewish community could shake voters. The Anti-Catholic Alliance pushed this message on social media and urged believers to vote. Polls showed that Mamdani’s progressive policies, such as housing reform and immigration rights interests, attracted many young people, but security issues weighed heavily among Jewish voters. Comos and Livia bet this, especially with pro-Israel records.
This is always the case in New York elections, with prominent ethnic tensions. The Jewish community has gone from a single sermon to a national signature, showing that voters 'expectations for the mayor not only include municipal services, but also diplomatic gestures. Mamdani's supporters argue that criticism ignores his overall agenda, but leaders insist security cannot be compromised. Up to now, these voices are still echoing, affecting the election campaign.