Israeli reactions to Mamdani’s victory: “New York has fallen.”
The New York Times reported: “His victory has sparked a wave of emotional and sometimes heated debate, one that has moved quickly from the question of whether his election would harm American Jews and Israel’s standing in the United States to the question of how devastating it could be to have a staunch critic of Israel as mayor of New York.”
Avigdor Lieberman, the leader of the right-wing opposition party and a former Israeli foreign minister, said through a spokesman that “the Big Apple has fallen.” He urged “New York Jews who want to survive” to emigrate to “where they belong — the land of Israel.”
Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, was more cautious, pledging in a social media post to work with New York Jewish leaders to “ensure their safety and well-being.”
The strong reactions were almost entirely oblivious to the fact that Israel’s policies and performance in the Gaza war had played a significant role in boosting Mamdani’s support.
They also showed how his criticism of Israel broke the unwritten but seemingly unbreakable rules of American politics, rules that for generations have made supporting Israel a prerequisite for political advancement.
In contrast, among Palestinians, the victory of Mamdani, 34, who would become New York’s first Muslim and Asian mayor, was celebrated as a historic milestone.
Some saw it as a sign of a generational shift in American public opinion, a shift that might even allow mainstream Democrats to speak out against Israel and in support of the Palestinians without fear of damaging their standing.
During the election campaign, Mamdani refused to answer directly whether he supported Israel’s “right to exist as a Jewish state,” saying he believed that all citizens of that country, regardless of their religion, should have equal rights.