NYC mayoral candidate Mamdani refuses to affirm Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state

Progressive New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorses Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist assemblyman from Queens.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Progressive New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) endorsed a New York mayoral candidate who refused to affirm Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish State.

AOC, a member of the progressive wing of the US Congress known as “The Squad” told The New York Times newspaper after a primary debate on Wednesday night, “Assembly member Mamdani has demonstrated a real ability on the ground to put together a coalition of working-class New Yorkers that is strongest to lead the pack.”

Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist assemblyman from Queens, was asked about the conflict between Israel and Gaza and began by saying that he believed Israel has the right to exist but refused to support the Jewish nature of the state.

“As a Jewish state?” the moderator asked, and Mamdani replied, “As a state with equal rights.”

Mamdani’s refusal to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state drew criticism from Democratic front-running mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo.

“And his answer was no, he won’t visit Israel,” Cuomo said, referring to Mamdani’s earlier statement that he would not visit Israel if elected.

Mamdani, who trails the former New York governor by a double-digit margin, has expressed support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

He has also refused to co-sponsor state resolutions commemorating the founding of the State of Israel and the Holocaust.

AOC has invited criticism for her refusal to mention the Jewish identity of the victims of an antisemitic attack.

Following the fatal shooting of two Israel Embassy staff members outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C, AOC wrote on X, “Absolutely nothing justifies the murder of innocents. I am devastated by the killing of two people outside an @AJCGlobal event here in Washington. Our prayers are with the victims, families, and loved ones of all impacted. As we await more details, we must be clear that hatred has no home here. Antisemitism is a threat to all we hold dear as a society. It must be confronted and rooted out everywhere.”

Her omission of any mention of Jews or Israel in her post aroused the ire of many, with one X user, Arsen Ostrovsky, replying, “‘Two people’? They were two JEWS. And more specifically, worked at the Israeli Embassy. These are pertinent details.”