By Ynet Global

Copyright ynetnews

Former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, long a staunch supporter of Israel, has begun to shift his tone on the war in Gaza as his struggling New York City mayoral campaign enters its final weeks. In an interview with The New York Times on Monday, Cuomo called the war “horrific” and urged it to end immediately, a departure from his past role as one of Israel’s most outspoken Democratic defenders. “There is no doubt that the people of New York and the nation see the continued carnage that is happening and are deeply, deeply disturbed and want it over, and believe it has gone on way too long,” Cuomo said. “It should end today. Return the hostages, end the violence. Today. I think it should have been over months ago. It is horrific.” The remarks marked one of the first times the 67-year-old candidate has publicly questioned the war, which has killed more than 60,000 people in Gaza, according to health officials there. His Democratic rival and front-runner, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, has gone much further in condemning Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Polls suggest New Yorkers increasingly align with Mamdani’s position. A recent New York Times/Siena College survey found likely city voters sympathize more with Palestinians than Israelis, and preferred Mamdani’s stance on the conflict over Cuomo’s. Cuomo has spent much of the campaign attacking Mamdani, accusing him of fueling antisemitism in a city with the largest Jewish population outside Israel. But the former governor now risks appearing out of step with shifting Democratic opinion while still needing support from pro-Israel Jewish voters and donors, also courted by Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent. Despite his call to end the war, Cuomo avoided criticizing Israel’s military or Netanyahu directly, instead targeting Mamdani for saying he would order the NYPD to arrest Netanyahu if he visited New York under an International Criminal Court warrant. “I don’t think the mayor of New York should be exercising his or her political judgment in arresting world leaders based on their politics,” Cuomo said. Last year, Cuomo joined Alan Dershowitz’s legal team to defend Netanyahu from the same ICC warrant, declaring then: “This is the moment when true friends stand shoulder to shoulder and fight for the state of Israel.” On Monday, he downplayed the alliance: “I never stood with Bibi,” he said, insisting his involvement was about jurisdiction, not defending Netanyahu personally. The interview also touched on other campaign themes. Cuomo warned that President Trump’s threats to assert control over New York City “should be taken very seriously” and argued he is the only candidate capable of standing up to Trump. He dismissed Gov. Kathy Hochul’s endorsement of Mamdani as unlikely to sway voters but acknowledged it increased pressure on top Democrats to follow suit. Cuomo contrasted his record — legalizing same-sex marriage, rebuilding LaGuardia Airport, opening Moynihan Train Hall — with what he described as a lack of “extraordinary accomplishments” under Hochul. Asked what his mayoral legacy would be, Cuomo offered a broad goal: restoring confidence in the city. “I think the totality is a dramatic shift in the condition of New York City,” he said, “and New York City as a destination point as opposed to an exit point.”