To: Les H who wrote (48691 ) 11/3/2025 2:17:46 PM From: Les H Read Replies (1) | Respond to I Oppose Mamdani's Stance on Israel. This Is Why I Am Voting for HimZohran Mamdani's pro-Palestinian advocacy has triggered histrionic accusations that he's a 'jihadist,' but it's also unnerved many liberal Jews. What he thinks about foreign policy is far less crucial for U.S. Jews than his stance against the forces threatening America's entire system of democracy, pluralism and the rule of law Dov Scheindlin, Haaretz, October 29, 2025 The knives are out for Zohran Mamdani. Since emerging seemingly out of nowhere six months ago as a Democratic candidate for mayor of New York, Mamdani's passionate following has been mirrored by equally passionate opposition. Several good faith arguments have been advanced against the young New York State assemblyman. Some of his proposals to reduce the appalling unaffordability of New York City run afoul of economic realities. Price ceilings, such as a rent freeze on rent-stabilized apartments, can contribute to housing shortages and degrade the quality of the housing stock if landlords can't afford to recoup expenses. If his proposals for free child care and public transportation are enacted, new taxes would have to cover the cost of the lost revenue – a move that New York State Governor Kathy Hochul has vowed to oppose. But much of the most passionate anti-Mamdani advocacy focuses on his views on the Middle East. It is clear that Mamdani does not believe that Israel should exist as a Jewish state. He claims his objection to Israel as a Jewish state is based on a principled rejection of preferential treatment by religion, which he applies equally to Muslim states such as Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Instead he envisions a future state with equal rights for all citizens in the current territory of Israel and Palestine. Meanwhile he has attempted to straddle a fine line by avoiding direct criticism of Palestinian militants like Hamas while insisting that all parties in the Middle East obey international law. His obvious sympathy for the Palestinian cause has led his political opponents to extrapolate wildly on his beliefs. He has been declared a " jihadist , " a " terrorist sympathizer " and an "Islamic extremist" – and yet somehow also a " communist " radical. Even setting aside the more histrionic attacks on Mamdani, his pro-Palestinian advocacy has made many otherwise moderate to liberal Jews uncomfortable. In an age of rising antisemitism, does electing Mamdani send the wrong message to the world? While I personally disagree with Mamdani's belief that Israel should not exist as a Jewish state, I have no qualms about voting for him in this election. Mamdani's views on the Middle East have been endlessly dredged up by political forces desperate to stop his rise, but the most obvious rejoinder is that the mayor of New York City has absolutely no foreign policy portfolio whatsoever. While the mayor benefits from a highly localized bully pulpit, his criticisms of Israel's actions will largely be preaching to the converted among the 61 percent of American Jews who believe Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza, according to a Washington Post poll in early September . Those who are concerned that he might someday rise to a position in which his views on Israel matter can comfort themselves with the fact that no New York City mayor has ascended to higher office since 1869, when John T. Hoffman became governor of New York State. In fact, there is a double standard at work here. Even those of us American Jews who are highly critical of the actions of the Israeli government feel that being expected to answer for it as a condition of societal acceptance is antisemitic. By constantly demanding that Mamdani denounce Hamas, we are putting him in a similar position of having to judge an entire movement he supports by its worst representatives. Perhaps we would do better to offer solidarity than to join the witch hunt. Far from displaying any animus toward New York's Jewish communities, Mamdani has made significant outreach to Jews throughout New York City; he has also spoken frequently about the city's alarming rise of antisemitism and his plans to counter it vigorously. In fact, the main focus of his campaign has been affordability and quality of life. When asked if he would visit Israel as mayor, he has said he prefers to stay in New York– a refreshing change from the current mayor, Eric Adams, who notably could not resist first-class perks in exchange for favors to the Turkish government once in office. Which brings us to an even more important reason I will be voting for Mamdani in this election. Mayor Adams' small-time corruption invited attacks on his independence from U.S. President Donald Trump, leading to federal charges against him being dropped in exchange for his cooperation with ICE. There is every reason to believe the same dynamic will be in play with the Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, who has openly begun courting Republican voters while declining to name a single Democratic politician he admires . Cuomo resigned from the governor's office in disgrace in 2021 after being credibly accused of sexually inappropriate conduct by 13 women. In addition, the whiff of scandal has surrounded Cuomo since his premature disbanding of the Moreland Commission to Investigate Public Corruption in 2014. When challenged about this decision, he said to Crain's : "It's my commission. My subpoena power, my Moreland Commission. I can appoint it, I can disband it. I appoint you, I can un-appoint you tomorrow." (Quiz: What current public figure does this sound like?) While Cuomo was not charged with any crimes, it is believed that he quashed subpoenas and disbanded the commission to protect corrupt allies in Albany, such as Sheldon Silver, a former assembly speaker who later went to prison. His campaign of retribution directed at then-federal prosecutor Preet Bharara was an early prototype of Trump's "investigate the investigators" type of projection. Trump will have plenty of ammunition to box Cuomo in legally, and from the way Cuomo has been talking, he may not even have to. Voting is not like ordering à la carte. It's a set menu, take it or leave it. I don't love the amuse-bouche of Mamdani's views denying the need for a Jewish state (I believe history demands it), but the main course is the one great issue in America today that outweighs all the others, namely: Will our system of democracy and pluralism survive? The future of Jews in the United States hinges on this point. Whether Mamdani believes Israel should be a Jewish state or not (spoiler alert – it already is) should matter far less to American Jews than whether the impartial rule of law will continue to hold sway so that we may engage in political activity as we see fit. Trump may claim that Mamdani is an antisemite, but his own political operation is packed with actual Christian nationalists and white supremacists who openly want to eliminate Jews from public life. Trump speaks of "good Jews" who support him and "bad Jews" who don't. He has participated in the antisemitic-coded demonization of George Soros and is clearly marching in the direction of the violent suppression of all opposition. While Cuomo is not an antisemite (although in 2006, when irritated by having to attend a Sukkot event, he is said to have commented "These people and their fucking tree houses," ) his vulnerability to Trump's predatory impulses, combined with his own antediluvian "my way or the highway" mentality, make him a very weak choice on this most important axis of policy. The tanks are probably going to roll down Broadway no matter who wins. When they do, I know which side I want our mayor to be on. Dov Scheindlin is Program Coordinator at the Kent Global Leadership Program in Conflict Resolution at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, from which he graduated with a Master's in 2023. Based in New York City, he is also a classical musician Haaretz
