Less than a generation after the September 11 attacks, something unprecedented has happened in the Big Apple. New York — the world’s leading financial capital and a symbol of the free West — the city that suffered one of the deadliest terror attacks in history — has chosen, early this morning, a Muslim mayor.
The man who built his campaign around harsh criticism of Israel and an effort to blur the violent call to “Globalize the Intifada” — a slogan that represents far more than a mere chant.
Zohran Mamdani in Arabic during victory speech: 'I am of you — and for you'
The election of Zohran Mamdani, who built much of his political capital on anti-Israel positions, is part of a broader trend — one that seeks to challenge the very legitimacy of the world’s only Jewish state and its right to self-determination. It is no coincidence that this is happening in a city with one of the largest Jewish communities in the world.
Mamdani has already declared his intention to cancel the academic partnership between Cornell University and the Technion — a project established to accelerate startups in the city. He has also spoken of halting investments in Israeli bonds, cutting municipal units dedicated to combating antisemitism in the name of “expanding the fight against Islamophobia,” and other steps that point to a very clear worldview.
And yet, beyond his stance toward Israel, Mamdani’s election reflects a much broader phenomenon.
The mayor of New York is one of the most influential positions in the United States. The city directly and indirectly employs hundreds of thousands of workers, and its budget surpasses that of entire states. When such a position falls into the hands of someone who until now served as a minor legislator, with little experience managing systems of this magnitude, the result is likely to be a real upheaval.
Mamdani presented a series of clearly populist proposals: free public transportation, subsidized public housing, and the establishment of a city-owned supermarket network to lower the cost of basic goods. He plans to finance these initiatives by taxing the wealthy and cutting police budgets — measures that could drive away businesses and upper-income residents.
Given the president’s intention to dramatically cut federal funding for the city, this formula recalls what the British experienced after tax hikes in London — the “exodus” of the wealthy to Dubai. New York may soon discover just how quickly a similar process can unfold there as well.
The coming year will be defined by preparations for the midterm elections. Democrats may be pleased with tonight’s outcome, but New York’s vote also signals a deeper crack — perhaps even a rift — within both parties. While Trump continues to tighten his grip on the right, the left is being pushed further toward the progressive edge.
In the 2024 elections, Trump increased his support in 49 out of 50 states compared to 2020. Even in New York State, he improved his results by 11 percentage points. Yet the results tonight seem to send the opposite message: socialist ideas, at times with a whiff of communism, are galvanizing a young and passionate generation that is turning out to vote — with a particularly sharp rise in early voting.
Populism, from both the right and the left, works.
This raises a question: is this the path the Democrats will choose going forward? Is the solution to be found in progressive radicalization — or in a return to a centrist sanity that seeks consensus?
Tonight’s election is also a signal to Israel. Unlike in past campaigns, the question of relations with Jerusalem is gradually becoming a domestic American issue — one that divides audiences and demands a political response. Until recently, support for Israel was almost taken for granted; today, it is a stance that faces real public debate.
What happened tonight in New York should light a warning sign in Jerusalem and in the American Jewish community. The coming year will be a test not only for Trump’s America and Mamdani’s New York, but also for the relationship between Israel and one of its historic allies — a relationship that can no longer be taken for granted.
Dr. Kobi Berda is a historian of American politics and geostrategy at the Interdisciplinary School of HIT.