Divided Jewish leaders react with warnings, hope as New York elects its first Muslim mayor

New York | Within hours of Zohran Mamdani's election as New York's first Muslim mayor, the Anti-Defamation League, which combats antisemitism, launched an initiative to track policies and personnel appointments of the incoming administration, part of a swift and harsh reaction from his Jewish critics.

The ADL on Wednesday said the goal is to “protect Jewish residents across the five boroughs during a period of unprecedented antisemitism in New York City".

Mamdani's main rival, former governor Andrew Cuomo, received about 60 per cent of the Jewish vote, according to the AP Voter Poll, after a campaign that highlighted Mamdani's denunciations of Israel and kindled debate over antisemitism.

About 3-in-10 Jewish voters supported Mamdani, the AP poll said.

A conservative pro-Israel newspaper, The Jewish Voice, depicted the city's Jewish community -- the largest in the US -- as fearfully bracing for an “exodus".

The two top leaders of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organisations labelled Mamdani's election “a grim milestone".

Jonathan Greenblatt, the ADL's national director, said Mamdani has “associated with individuals who have a history of antisemitism, and demonstrated intense animosity toward the Jewish state".

“We are deeply concerned that those individuals and principles will influence his administration at a time when we are tracking a brazen surge of harassment, vandalism and violence targeting Jewish residents and institutions,” Greenblatt added.

Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of the centrist pro-Israel group J Street, criticised the ADL and Conference of Presidents statements as he called for efforts to bridge divisions.

“The fearmongering we have seen from some Jewish institutions and leaders surrounding Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is harmful, overblown and risks needlessly deepening divisions in the city and in our community,” Ben-Ami said.

“Our community's responsibility now is to engage constructively with the mayor-elect, not to sow panic or to demonize him.”

Israel-Hamas war was key election issue

Throughout his campaign, Mamdani was steadfast in his criticism of Israel's military conduct in Gaza, depicting it as genocide targeting Palestinians. But he welcomed Jewish supporters to his campaign, denounced the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, and denied suggestions from Cuomo that he was insufficiently opposed to antisemitism.

“We will build a City Hall that stands steadfast alongside Jewish New Yorkers and does not waver in the fight against the scourge of antisemitism,” Mamdani declared at his victory celebration.

He reiterated that commitment again on Wednesday in his first news conference since winning election, touting his plan to increase funding for hate crime prevention.

“I take the issue of antisemitism incredibly seriously,” he said.

Mamdani has described his pro-Palestinian views as “central” to his belief in a “universal system of human rights".

But it was Cuomo who sought to make the race a referendum on Israel -- a strategy that some Democratic strategists say backfired as the war in Gaza shifted public views.

Leaders of the Reform Movement, representing the largest branch of US Judaism, issued a nuanced statement after Mamdani was declared winner of what they called a “deeply polarising campaign".

“In this moment, we urge the Jewish community to help lower the temperature, listen generously, and take steps to promote healing,” the statement said.

“We will hold the new mayor accountable to his commitments to protect Jewish communities and all New Yorkers, to confront antisemitism and every form of hate, and to safeguard civil rights and peaceful expression.” Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, urged Mamdani and Jewish leaders to work toward a common goal of “a strong, safe and inclusive city in which Jewish and all New Yorkers can thrive".

“This was an election in which Jews became a political football -- which did nothing to advance Jewish or any community's safety,” Spitalnick said. “Rather, in so many ways, this election was used to validate the worst instincts and fears on both extremes.” Among the Jewish groups elated by Mamdani's win were IfNotNow, which has organised protests against Israel's military campaign in Gaza, and Bend The Arc: Jewish Action, which describes itself as a progressive Jewish advocacy group.

“Throughout this election, Donald Trump, Andrew Cuomo, as well as far too many out-of-touch Jewish leaders sought to weaponise antisemitism to divide Jews from our fellow New Yorkers,” IfNotNow said.

“As Zohran faced an onslaught of Islamophobia, we organised our Jewish communities and refused to succumb to that fearmongering.” Jamie Beran, CEO of Bend the Arc, said the group "endorsed Zohran because we know a strong democracy is what keeps Jews the safest".

“We plan to take this playbook to cities and towns across the nation and work with our Jewish communities to bridge divisions, see through smokescreens and take back Congress.