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Zohran Mamdani’s smiles and wiles may have won him a fan in the Oval Office, but among American Jews, his beguilements have fooled almost no one. He told Trump and the world that “there is no place for antisemitism in New York City,” but Jews simply do not believe him. They overwhelmingly believe he is not only anti-Israel, but also irredeemably antisemitic. And they believe his presence as mayor of New York City will provide him with a bully pulpit to make his views about Israel more acceptable across the land from sea to shining sea, far beyond the true believers in the Democratic Socialists of America. More on American Jews’ gelid view of Mamdani can be found here: “Supermajority of US Jews See Mamdani as Anti-Israel and Antisemitic, Poll Finds,” by Corey Walker, Algemeiner, November 28, 2025:
A strong majority of American Jews perceive New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani as both anti-Israel and antisemitic, according to a new poll from the Jewish People Policy Institute.
The “Voice of the Jewish People Index for November” reveals a stark and alarming divide between the incoming Mamdani administration and a significant portion of the Jewish population. According to the poll, a substantial two-thirds, 64 percent, of US Jews now perceive him as both anti-Israel and antisemitic, marking the highest percentage recorded for this metric since tracking began earlier this year. Only 9 percent of Jews perceive him as neither anti-Israel nor antisemitic.
Anxieties over Mamdani transcend political lines, with strong majorities of Jews across all but the “strong liberal” cohort believing he holds antisemitic and anti-Israel views. Mamdani’s victory has elicited a strong emotional response, with the dominant post-election sentiment reported being “concern” at 56 percent. In contrast, only 13 percent indicated feeling “hope” after his victory.
The survey of US Jewry paints a picture of a community increasingly on edge over anti-Israel hostility being legitimized in high-profile political office, with the Mamdani election serving as a critical tipping point. Crucially, this apprehension translates directly into fears for physical safety. An overwhelming 67 percent of respondents believe Mamdani’s elevation to office will lead to a direct decline in the security of New York’s Jewish residents, according to the poll.
The results come after Mamdani faced intense criticism from Jewish leaders and pro-Israel advocates for issuing a statement that appeared to legitimize a gathering of demonstrators who called for violence against Jews outside a prominent New York City synagogue last week. The protesters were harassing those attending an event being held by Nefesh B’nefesh, a Zionist organization that helps Jews immigrate to Israel, at Park East Synagogue in Manhattan.
The mayor-elect issued a statement that “discouraged” the extreme rhetoric used by the protesters but did not unequivocally condemn the harassment of Jews outside their own house of worship. Mamdani’s office notably also criticized the synagogue, with his team describing the event inside as a “violation of international law,” an allegation apparently referencing Israel’s settlement policies in the West Bank.
And why did Mamdani’s office claim that the meeting held inside the Park East Synagogue violated international law? Here’s why: the event was held to assist people planning on making aliyah to Israel, and some of those people would likely settle in Judea and Samaria, which Mamdani believes that Israel illegally “occupies.” Like so many others, he ignores both the 3500-year history of the Jews in Judea and Samaria, and the intent of the League of Nations to include that territory in Mandatory Palestine, that is, would eventually become part of the future Jewish state.
Mamdani hasn’t fooled the Jews, least of all those living in New York City. My prediction is this: By the end of his first year, that fast-approaching annus horribilis, instead of 72% of New York Jews thinking Mamdani will be “bad” for the city, 92% will think so. And the percentage of Jews in the city who will then view him unfavorably will rise high as well, to 90%. Mamdani has no intention of modifying his malign views on Israel, and will do everything he can to harm the Jewish state.
