Israeli coalition and opposition politicians united on Wednesday in condemning far-left Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani’s win in the New York mayoral race, highlighting his antipathy toward Israel and accusing him of supporting the Hamas terror group.

“The election of Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York will be remembered forever as a moment when antisemitism triumphed over common sense,” declared far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, calling him a “supporter of Hamas, a hater of Israel and an avowed antisemite,” and slamming his “false claims that we are ‘committing genocide in Gaza.’”

The young democratic socialist was elected mayor of New York on Tuesday, marking a sea change for Jews in the city, home to the world’s largest Jewish community, which has enjoyed the support of City Hall for generations. It was long taken for granted that mayoral candidates needed to be pro-Israel to win office, but no longer.

Mamdani, a longtime advocate of Palestinian rights, has accused Israel of committing genocide and said he would honor an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

While Mamdani stated in his acceptance speech that he will “not waver” in combating antisemitism as mayor, his assurances did not satisfy Israeli politicians.

Avigdor Liberman, chairman of the hawkish Yisrael Beytenu opposition party, like Ben Gvir, bemoaned that “the man who supported Hamas, attacked Israel, and blamed the West for all the world’s troubles has been elected mayor of New York.”

“Just three decades after the Twin Towers disaster, New York has elected a racist, populist, and avowed Islamist as its mayor. Mamdani is the poster boy for the silent jihad,” and his election is a “wake-up call for New York Jews who want to immigrate to where they belong – the Land of Israel,” Liberman said, adding in English: “The Big Apple has fallen.”

Bemoaning that “the last of the bullies who back Hamas’s rapists and murderers was elected mayor,” Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli (Likud) also urged New York Jews to move to Israel.

“The city that was once a symbol of global freedom has handed over its keys to a Hamas supporter, to someone whose positions are not far from those of the jihadist fanatics who, 25 years ago, murdered 3,000 of its own people,” Chikli wrote on X, referencing the 9/11 attack.

“New York will never be the same again, especially not for its Jewish community,” he continued. “The city is walking with open eyes into the abyss that London has already plunged into… it’s pointless to waste words claiming that everything will be fine. Nothing will be fine in this city.”

Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu (Otzma Yehudit) lashed out at Jews who voted for Mamdani, accusing them of having “raised their hands in support of antisemitism in the heart of America.”

“‘Jews who hate Jews’ have existed among us since the dawn of our history” and “we see them also in Israel,” he said in a statement, tying the New York election to the controversy regarding alleged IDF abuse of detainees at the Sde Teiman military base. “Antisemitism that speaks Hebrew is the most dangerous of all.”

While some politicians urged Jewish New Yorkers to flee to Israel, others offered their support for the city with the world’s largest Jewish community.

Mamdani’s win was “deeply concerning given his history of anti-Israel and anti-Jewish rhetoric” and “New York’s Jewish community deserves leaders who protect them, not target them,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel, adding that the Jewish state “stands with our brothers and sisters in New York and will continue working with community leaders to ensure their safety and dignity.”

The Jewish community in New York is a strong, diverse community, rich in wisdom and talent. I have no doubt that the leaders, organizations, and communities in New York will know how to navigate the new reality of this important city following Mamdani’s election.

The role of the…

— גלעד קריב (@KarivGilad) November 5, 2025

Taking a more optimistic tone, Knesset Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs Committee chairman Gilad Kariv (The Democrats) expressed confidence that New York’s Jewish leadership will be able to “navigate the new reality of this important city following Mamdani’s election” and said that Israel will “stand by the Jewish community in New York to support its leadership in maintaining its status, protecting its interests, and combating antisemitism in the city.”

However, he added, “Israeli leaders would do well to remember that the focus of the elections in New York was on internal American issues, not matters of foreign policy,” and Jerusalem “must act consistently to nurture its relationship with both American parties, even when challenges and obstacles arise.”

While Mamdani’s win was met with disappointment by Jewish politicians, it was welcomed by the majority Arab Hadash-Ta’al party.

“I congratulate Zohran Mamdani on his historic victory in New York City. His triumph sends a clear message to the world: Peoples and communities can choose leaders who represent social justice, equality, and solidarity, and face together the anti-democratic and fascist forces,” party chairman Ayman Odeh told The Times of Israel.

“I see this election as an encouraging sign: If such change is possible in New York even after 9/11 and the ‘Clash of Civilizations’ theory, it is also possible here, between Palestinians and Israelis. Only through Jewish-Arab partnership can we achieve true justice, peace, and equality for everyone,” he said.

As a member of the Jewish-Arab leftist Hadash Faction in the Israeli Parliament, I would like to congratulate Zohran Mamdani for his remarkable victory in yesterday’s election.

@ZohranKMamdani

— Ofer Cassif עופר כסיף عوفر كسيف (@ofercass) November 5, 2025

Slamming Mamdani’s critics, Hadash-Ta’al MK Ofer Cassif, the party’s sole Jewish lawmaker, declared in a video message that “those who smear and hate you and talk against you and are afraid of you are solely those who are afraid of justice, those who do evil, and it is good that they are afraid. We’ll, I hope, give them a reason to be even more afraid in the future.”