Mamdani at Debate: "I Refuse To Recognize Israel as A Jewish State"

In a fiery New York City mayoral debate, candidates spent nearly a quarter of an hour (out of two hours) discussing the Israel-Hamas conflict, a debate meant to focus on policing, parking, affordable housing, public transportation, and even prostitution, which it briefly touched on initially. Instead, it dwelled extensively on Israel, Hamas, and their conflict, not the massive Russia-Ukraine war, but a dispute the size of neighboring New Jersey. The pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel candidate Zohran Mamdani reiterated his anti-Israel views, using terms like "genocide" and "apartheid", time and time again.

When asked why he doesn’t call for Hamas to disarm as per Trump’s 20-point plan, he responded: "I do believe Hamas should lay down its weapons, and calling for a ceasefire means 'cease fire'—all parties must put down their arms and stop fighting. That means not only ending the 'genocide' but also allowing unrestricted humanitarian aid. I hope the ceasefire holds, and we must address the root causes: occupation, siege, and apartheid."

Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, who has emerged as a defender of Israel and Jews in this campaign, fired back: "Council Member" (Cuomo’s nickname for Mamdani due to his City Council role), "you don’t condemn Hamas or Hassan Piker (a notorious antisemitic influencer) who said America deserved 9/11. Your claim that everything begins and ends with occupation is code for denying Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, a stance you’ve never recognized. You support 'from the river to the sea' and haven’t disavowed 'Globalize the Intifada,' which means killing all Jews." Mamdani hit back at Cuomo: "When I say occupation, I mean international law and its violation, something Cuomo ignores since he’s joined Netanyahu’s defense team during this genocide."

Pressed on his "Globalize the Intifada" call, Mamdani appeared to partially backtrack, avoiding a full condemnation but saying: "I spoke with New York Jews and realized this phrase recalls painful memories, like bus bombings in Haifa and Jerusalem, including a roommate of one who was killed. Understanding its impact on Jews led me to drop it and stop using that language."

Cuomo responded: "Why won’t the Council Member condemn Hamas? He still hasn’t disavowed 'Globalize the Intifada,' which means killing all Jews. Just say it! Condemn it!"

Mamdani also tried to nuance his stance on not recognizing Israel as a Jewish state: "I recognize Israel’s right to exist, but I won’t recognize any state’s right to exist through a racial or religious hierarchy, my belief applies to Israel or Saudi Arabia alike", said the son of Qatari funded filmmaker.

As for the third candidate in the polls, Republican Curtis Sliwa, he criticized both but told Mamdani: "Jews don’t trust you to stand with them during antisemitic attacks."

The New York City mayoral election is set for November 4. Currently, Mamdani leads comfortably in polls, with Cuomo trailing.