In Israel, Zohran Mamdani's win in New York stirs alarm over shifting U.S. attitudes Mamdani visits a mosque in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on November 7, 2025. | Photo Credit: Reuters The election of Zohran Mamdani as New York City's next mayor has sent a chill across Israel as people come to terms with the victory of a politician propelled by an outspoken pro-Palestinian message that is rare in U.S. politics. Israelis across the political spectrum fear that Mr. Mamdani's election — in the city with the world's second-largest Jewish population — could foreshadow icier relations with the U.S., Israel's most important ally. Support for Mr. Mamdani from almost one-third of Jewish voters only added to the pain. “Very bad,” said Hana Jaeger, a Jerusalem resident, assessing the news the day after the election. “For the Jews, for Israel, for everyone, it's very bad. What else can you say?” Mr. Mamdani's campaign was animated by an array of local economic issues, such as the lack of affordable child care and housing. But in Israel, his pro-Palestinian platform is all that matters, and it was the strongest illustration yet of a change in attitudes showing a softening of support for Israel among the American public — particularly younger, Democratic voters. This change appears to have been expedited by anger over the brutal war in Gaza launched in response to Hamas' October 2023 attack on Israel. Israeli government officials expressed their outrage sharply, labelling Mr. Mamdani, who is Muslim, as an Israel-hating antisemite. Analysts said their heavy-handed reactions indicated just how concerned they are about the shifting political winds. Mamdani visits a mosque in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on November 7, 2025. | Photo Credit: Reuters The election of Zohran Mamdani as New York City's next mayor has sent a chill across Israel as people come to terms with the victory of a politician propelled by an outspoken pro-Palestinian message that is rare in U.S. politics. Israelis across the political spectrum fear that Mr. Mamdani's election — in the city with the world's second-largest Jewish population — could foreshadow icier relations with the U.S., Israel's most important ally. Support for Mr. Mamdani from almost one-third of Jewish voters only added to the pain. “Very bad,” said Hana Jaeger, a Jerusalem resident, assessing the news the day after the election. “For the Jews, for Israel, for everyone, it's very bad. What else can you say?” Advertisement Mamdani’s win, other U.S. results may mark Indian diaspora vote shifting back from Trump: Expert Mr. Mamdani's campaign was animated by an array of local economic issues, such as the lack of affordable child care and housing. But in Israel, his pro-Palestinian platform is all that matters, and it was the strongest illustration yet of a change in attitudes showing a softening of support for Israel among the American public — particularly younger, Democratic voters. This change appears to have been expedited by anger over the brutal war in Gaza launched in response to Hamas' October 2023 attack on Israel. Israeli government officials expressed their outrage sharply, labelling Mr. Mamdani, who is Muslim, as an Israel-hating antisemite. Analysts said their heavy-handed reactions indicated just how concerned they are about the shifting political winds. "Even where there is a huge concentration of Jewish power, Jewish money, Jewish cultural and political influence — even in this place, an American can be elected with a clear anti-Israeli label on his lapel,” wrote Shmuel Rosner, an analyst at the Jewish People Policy Institute. “What he did proves that standing up against Israel ... can be politically profitable, or at least not harmful.”
