New York City has made history by electing a mayor who embodies the values of justice and equality. Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist candidate, won the election with a landslide victory, leaving behind a trail of Islamophobic smears and antisemitism allegations.
In a desperate attempt to discredit him, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, who leads Central Synagogue in Manhattan, labeled Mamdani as an "antisemite". However, her claims were rooted in nothing but speculation and mischaracterization. She failed to cite any actual instances of antisemitism on Mamdani's part, despite his robust criticism of Israel.
Mamdani's stance on Israel was the target of Buchdahl's attacks, a classic tactic employed by pro-Israel forces to silence critics of their genocidal policies. He has consistently pointed out the Israeli military's training of NYPD officers and its intelligence-sharing agreements with law enforcement agencies, as well as the NYPD's own complicity in these arrangements.
Despite facing relentless Islamophobic smears, Mamdani managed to rally a massive following among young Jewish New Yorkers and even secured support from some influential Jewish politicians. This was a resounding rebuke of the false narrative that criticism of Israel is somehow antisemitic.
As Mayor, Mamdani has promised to uphold commitments to Palestinian solidarity, including ending municipal partnerships with the state of Israel while it continues its campaign of mass slaughter, displacement, occupation, and apartheid. His victory should set an example for how supporting Jewish New Yorkers can be paired with a refusal to conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism.
In his victory speech, Mamdani declared that "no more will New York be a city where you can traffic in Islamophobia and win an election." This statement was met with cheers from his supporters, who celebrated the dawn of a new era in which the voices of Islamophobes would no longer dictate the agenda.
In a desperate attempt to discredit him, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, who leads Central Synagogue in Manhattan, labeled Mamdani as an "antisemite". However, her claims were rooted in nothing but speculation and mischaracterization. She failed to cite any actual instances of antisemitism on Mamdani's part, despite his robust criticism of Israel.
Mamdani's stance on Israel was the target of Buchdahl's attacks, a classic tactic employed by pro-Israel forces to silence critics of their genocidal policies. He has consistently pointed out the Israeli military's training of NYPD officers and its intelligence-sharing agreements with law enforcement agencies, as well as the NYPD's own complicity in these arrangements.
Despite facing relentless Islamophobic smears, Mamdani managed to rally a massive following among young Jewish New Yorkers and even secured support from some influential Jewish politicians. This was a resounding rebuke of the false narrative that criticism of Israel is somehow antisemitic.
As Mayor, Mamdani has promised to uphold commitments to Palestinian solidarity, including ending municipal partnerships with the state of Israel while it continues its campaign of mass slaughter, displacement, occupation, and apartheid. His victory should set an example for how supporting Jewish New Yorkers can be paired with a refusal to conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism.
In his victory speech, Mamdani declared that "no more will New York be a city where you can traffic in Islamophobia and win an election." This statement was met with cheers from his supporters, who celebrated the dawn of a new era in which the voices of Islamophobes would no longer dictate the agenda.