The day following the election of Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York City, Ted Deutch, CEO of American Jewish Committee, distributed the following email.
The world’s attention is focused on New York City with Zohran Mamdani winning the mayoral election, and I want you to know how American Jewish Committee (AJC) is approaching this critical moment for our community.
First, we thought it was important to lead through a strong and unified Jewish community response, so last night we issued a statement along with UJA-Federation of New York, JCRC-NY, ADL New York/New Jersey, and the New York Board of Rabbis making clear that we will stand united as we hold Mayor-elect Mamdani “fully accountable for ensuring that New York remains a place where Jewish life and support for Israel are protected and can thrive.”
Next, my colleague, Josh Kramer, our Regional Director of AJC New York, penned a powerful letter to the Mayor-elect. In it, we tell the Mayor-elect, “We will be vigilant in ensuring that New York City government and your position as mayor are not used to hold Israel to a double standard or to attempt to isolate Israel economically in an effort to dismantle the world’s only Jewish state.”
I want to focus on what comes next in New York City and beyond to address the profound concerns about what the future holds for Jewish safety and belonging.
(1) The Mayor-elect’s refusal to condemn “globalize the intifada” and use of the term “genocide” when describing Israel’s defensive war against Hamas is chilling. We’ve been very outspoken on both throughout his campaign. The intifadas weren’t abstract political movements—they were waves of terror that slaughtered innocent Jews on buses, in pizza shops, and at nightclubs. When protesters chant this phrase, they’re calling for that violence to spread worldwide. And to call Israel’s self-defensive military operation a “genocide” is not only factually and legally inaccurate, it provides fuel for extremist actors to turn to violence. AJC has been crystal clear: this rhetoric is dangerous, hateful, and incites violence against Jews. New York is supposed to be a city where everyone feels safe, where threats against any community are met with swift condemnation. Jewish New Yorkers are asking for nothing more than that same basic safety and respect. We will continue to press the Mayor-elect to clearly condemn and cease using these hateful terms.
(2) Despite having zero legal authority to do so, the Mayor-elect has doubled down on his plan to have the NYPD arrest the Prime Minister of Israel. The threat relies on a controversial and politicized ICC warrant that legal experts say is both unenforceable and potentially illegal under federal law. More than that, it would hurt—not help—the chances for long-term peace by imperiling Israel’s ability to negotiate in one of the world’s most critical diplomatic hubs. At AJC, we’ll keep pushing for peace and normalization through real diplomacy, making the case to anyone who’ll listen that more engagement is what creates a more secure Middle East. Peace doesn’t come from arresting leaders; it comes from bringing them to the table.
(3) Mayor-elect Mamdani has refused to acknowledge that Israel is both Jewish and democratic. Most Jewish New Yorkers believe that Israel should continue to be a Jewish and democratic state, one whose Declaration of Independence clearly states that “it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex.” Jewish New Yorkers have a deep connection to Israel, just as many Diaspora communities in the city feel to their respective homelands. At AJC, we’ll make sure the Mayor-elect and every leader in this city understands why Israel’s Jewish and democratic character matters—and we’ll fight to boost the “Hidden Voices” curriculum in New York City public schools, which provides curriculum resources, lesson plans, and workshops to highlight the histories and contributions of underrepresented groups in U.S. history. More NYC students need to learn about Jewish Americans’ contributions to our nation and understand Zionism for what it actually is: the right to Jewish self-determination in our ancestral homeland.
(4) Mayor-elect Mamdani has called into question the future of the Cornell-Technion partnership on Roosevelt Island, one of New York’s premier innovation hubs, fostering research, entrepreneurship, and U.S.–Israel collaboration. Ending this partnership would deal a blow to the city’s booming tech sector, chase away innovators, destroy vital educational opportunities, and damage New York’s reputation as a global business hub. At AJC, we’re mobilizing the business community and higher education leaders to defend this partnership, fight against BDS, and highlight what’s at stake: jobs, research breakthroughs, and New York’s competitive edge.
Here’s the bottom line: AJC will never stop fighting for the Jewish community. That’s who we are. It’s what we’ve always done, around the world and, especially today, in the city with the largest Jewish population in the Diaspora. The impact of language and policies of the Mayor of New York City doesn’t stop in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, or Staten Island. It reverberates around the world. And just as we defend every Jewish community around the world, today and in the months ahead, we’ll be standing proudly with New York’s Jews demanding the safety, security, and respect that we fully deserve.
Opinion pieces reflect the opinions of the writers, not of Jewish News or United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.