Copyright ynetnews
According to recent polls, two out of five Jews or Israelis support New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. Yet few feel comfortable speaking openly about it, given his sharp criticism of Israel. Shai Wosner, 49, a pianist and teacher at the Juilliard School, arrived at the polling station on Saturday, the first day of early voting, and said simply: “Yes, I voted for Mamdani.” Originally from Moshav Batzra in the Sharon region, Wosner is married to an Israeli he met in high school and describes himself as a proud Zionist. “I don’t see anything to hide in supporting Mamdani,” he says. “On the contrary, it’s important to understand why people like me choose him.” He says it all started at Zabar’s, the legendary Jewish deli on the Upper West Side. “It was May, very early in the primaries,” he recalls. “Most people didn’t even know elections were happening. My wife and I were shopping and suddenly saw someone standing there with flyers, completely alone—no staff, no bodyguards, just a photographer who seemed to be with him. We approached out of curiosity. My wife started a conversation about the cost of living, the city’s transportation system, even the rat problem. He spoke very articulately, intelligently, pleasantly. We wished him luck, and I assumed I’d never hear of him again. What chance did a total unknown have?” Weeks later, that same “unknown” candidate reappeared in his life. “The security guard in my building, who had never voted in his life, suddenly said he was going to vote in the primaries. I asked who for, and he said, ‘Of course for Zohran.’ That’s when I realized something was happening. If he managed to inspire someone who’d never voted before, it must be real.” “From that moment, I started noticing his name everywhere. My daughter, who’s in high school, talked about him too. Of all the candidates, he’s the only one everyone calls by his first name. That’s a sign of intimacy—something people feel only with someone they truly relate to. I realized it went beyond politics it became something emotional, a cross-generational connection. That’s very rare here. I was curious to understand how it happened—how someone no one had heard of six months ago became a political hope. He caught on so quickly, especially among young people, and it happened amid enormous frustration.” “In the Democratic camp, there’s a sense of a leadership vacuum—no one standing up to Trump and the chaos he spreads. For many, Mamdani represents the face of that resistance. It’s similar to what’s happening in Israel—the same feeling of emptiness, that no one is stopping the authoritarian tide. People are looking for a strong voice, even if it’s not perfect.” Remember who he’s running against At first, Wosner admits, he saw 34-year-old Mamdani as “the lesser evil.” “I didn’t vote for him in the primaries because I thought he lacked experience,” he says. “But in one of the first debates, when Cuomo attacked him over it, Mamdani replied: ‘You’re right, I don’t have experience—but I also didn’t resign in disgrace.’ It was a sharp moment.” “You have to remember who he’s up against: a deeply unpopular mayor and a former governor burdened by sexual harassment complaints, worker mistreatment, and pandemic scandals. Compared to that, a young guy with no stains looks very different. As a father of a young daughter, I can’t vote for someone like Cuomo, with all those allegations. I thought maybe we needed a strong figure to stand up to Trump, but then I realized he’s too similar—same aggressiveness, same arrogance.” “Mamdani at least believes in something,” Wosner continues. “We know many people who vote for him even though they can’t stand him. Their kids idolize him, and the parents say: if that’s what gives them hope, we’ll go along. And I think that’s amazing. When was the last time a younger generation inspired the older one to go vote?” So is this a protest vote? “There’s no doubt a huge part of his support comes from the crisis in the liberal camp. People are disillusioned. They have no figure to rally around. Mamdani may only be running for mayor, but to many, he symbolizes something larger—a revival of a worn-out liberal camp. I’m not delusional a mayor isn’t a president. But New York carries global influence. The whole world watches what happens here. If a statement comes from this city, it could restore hope. He’s even attracted some who once voted for Trump. That’s rare, and it says something about how deep this divide is.” “Of course, whoever wins must focus first on the city—on safety, sanitation, homelessness, and the cost of living. You walk around New York and see third-world conditions in the richest city of the richest country. It’s terrible. So if someone can fix that, great. And if, along the way, he gives the liberal camp a boost, even better.” Antisemitism as a gevalt campaign Despite the criticism of Mamdani, Wosner says he has one thing that can’t be taken from him: “He believes in local government’s ability to improve people’s lives. That’s something we hardly see anymore. The U.S. government, just like in Israel, is at war with itself. Trump, like Netanyahu, tries to undermine trust in democratic institutions so people believe only in him. Both use the same pattern—rule through fear. It’s not left or right it’s authoritarian politics, and it’s dangerous. Mamdani stands against that.” Many Israelis and Jews, he admits, will struggle to accept that he supports Mamdani despite his views on Israel. “I don’t agree with everything he’s said. Some of his earlier statements were problematic. But how relevant is that to being mayor? I don’t need the leader of New York to be a Zionist mainstream figure. I need him to run the city. This isn’t a presidential or congressional race.” Still, Mamdani has promised to “hold Netanyahu accountable,” divest city funds from Israeli bonds and companies, dissolve the New York–Israel Economic Council, redefine antisemitism so it excludes anti-Zionism, and ease enforcement against pro-Palestinian protesters. In the American system, the person at the top sets the tone for everyone below. “I agree with him on some things. Why arrest protesters? Let them protest—it’s a democracy. When he said Netanyahu should be arrested, I thought it was childish. He has no legal authority for that. But I understood what he meant. Netanyahu should be arrested for war crimes. As long as he stays in power, Israel’s future is at risk. You can support Israel and oppose Netanyahu at the same time. That’s not a contradiction.” “I, unlike Mamdani, am unequivocally for a Jewish and democratic state. I also strongly support a two-state solution—not out of concern for the other side, but for my own people. Without it, Israel has no future. Mamdani doesn’t grasp the nuances of the conflict. He’s part of a young American generation that knows little about Israel. That doesn’t excuse his statements, but it doesn’t make him an enemy either. I understand where it comes from. Anyone imagining he’ll start boycotting Jewish institutions tomorrow just doesn’t understand how things work.” But your neighbors do—many in the city’s Jewish community see him as antisemitic. “He’s anti-Israel but not antisemitic. I’m the son of Holocaust survivors, and I say antisemitism is being used as a gevalt campaign against him. He’s formed alliances with Jewish leaders, has Jewish advisers, works with Jews like Comptroller Brad Lander and Congressman Jerry Nadler. They’re Zionists who oppose the occupation and support Israel. Their views are nearly identical to mine. I don’t see a scenario where he neglects or targets the community. He’s not stupid. He has political instincts and knows that to run a city like New York, you must embrace all groups, not reject them. So maybe he’s not a fan of Israel, but it won’t show on the ground.” “There’s a larger issue: the Jewish community today is completely divided, especially across generations. Older people are fearful younger ones are proud of their Judaism but oppose Israeli policies. They’re no less Jewish—just different. People in Israel don’t understand there’s a gap between how we talk about the state abroad and how we perceive it ourselves. The occupation undermines Israel’s legitimacy everywhere. You can’t have it both ways. Eventually, there are consequences. Mamdani is a result, not the cause. The cause is Israel’s policies—that’s what turned it into a pariah.” And what about the reality on the ground? Hate crimes in New York have dropped 26% this year, but Jews remain the most targeted group. “Personal safety has been deteriorating since the days of mayors Bill de Blasio and Eric Adams. It’s not about antisemitism. The city feels less safe because it’s been poorly managed. If I feel unsafe in the street, it’s not because I’m Jewish—it’s because New York has become a hard place to live. I believe Mamdani, of all people, can change that.” When you cast your vote today, did you think as an Israeli or an American? “My Israeli and American identities don’t clash. In Mamdani’s case, it’s simple—he’s running for mayor. I live here it’s my city, and I vote for what’s best for it. His positions on Israel maybe affected 20% of my decision, mainly because of his criticism of Netanyahu, the government, and the occupation—not of Israel as a Jewish state. No one will ever convince me Israel doesn’t have the right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state. I vote for whoever can improve where I live. If he can also restore hope—that’s already a lot.” Wosner adds, “Even if there are some elements of antisemitism, opposition to Israel isn’t the main driver. The main driver is what Netanyahu’s government has done in Gaza. Saying every criticism of Israel is antisemitism is just escaping reality.” Senior attorney, tour guide: the Israeli supporters Among Israeli supporters, prominent voices include attorney Victor Kovner, former legal counsel to New York City under Mayor David Dinkins and a founding member of J Street. Kovner said Jews’ fears of Mamdani are unfounded. “It’s hard to imagine a more comprehensive plan against hate crimes than the one Mamdani presented,” he said, noting his proposal to increase the budget for fighting antisemitism and xenophobia eightfold. Kovner, who describes himself as a Zionist and supporter of the two-state solution, said, “Most American Jews agree with Mamdani’s criticism of Netanyahu’s government, and you don’t have to agree with him on everything to recognize he’s the best candidate to lead the city.” Sarah Bar-Chaim, a 36-year-old tour guide living in Brooklyn, said that although she was initially put off by Mamdani’s views on Israel, “I ultimately decided to vote for him because he’s the only one seriously addressing cost of living, transportation, and education. I’m not looking for a mayor who represents Israel I’m looking for one who can fix New York.” In neighborhoods like Park Slope, she added, “more and more Israelis are talking about him openly. It used to be taboo—now it’s just normal conversation.” Josh Rosenthal, 27, from the Upper West Side, said, “At home, my parents love Bibi, but I think the current government’s policies are what’s driving more Jews away. For me, Mamdani is a test: if he keeps his promise to protect the Jewish community, it’ll prove you can criticize Israel and support Jews in the same breath.”
