NYC Mayor-elect Mamdani’s chief of staff boasts of anti-Israel activism

Bisgaard-Church’s critics warn that her rise from activist to policy architect could carry serious implications for how New York engages on Israel-related issues and deals with antisemitism.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Elle Bisgaard-Church, who will serve as a senior adviser to New York’s incoming mayor Zohran Mamdani, is emerging as a controversial figure for her anti-Israel activism and close association with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a movement known for promoting boycotts of Israel and opposing US security cooperation with Jerusalem.

At just 34, Bisgaard-Church is positioned to become one of the most powerful people in Mamdani’s administration.

Her critics warn that her rise from activist to policy architect could carry serious implications for how New York engages on Israel-related issues and deals with antisemitism.

A graduate of Swarthmore College and Columbia University, Bisgaard-Church was active in anti-war movements and voiced support for what she described as “nonviolent anti-Israel activism.”

During Mamdani’s term in the New York State Assembly, she served as his chief of staff and played a central role in persuading the DSA to back his mayoral campaign.

That endorsement was crucial in mobilizing the organization’s network behind Mamdani’s platform, which includes creating a “Department of Community Safety” to shift some police functions to social workers—an idea criticized by public safety officials.

According to DSA sources, Bisgaard-Church also helped draft the group’s rules for cooperation with elected officials and advanced its policy of endorsing “ideologically aligned candidates,” particularly those who question US policy toward Israel.

Her influence has therefore extended well beyond campaign strategy to shape the movement’s political framework.

Although she avoids public attention and rarely appears on social media, Bisgaard-Church was credited as the driving force behind Mamdani’s surprise victory over Andrew Cuomo.

Former city officials have cautioned that “she may stay out of the spotlight, but she’ll be the one shaping policy behind the scenes, including New York’s stance on Israel,” according to Israel HaYom

As Mamdani assumes office as New York’s first socialist mayor, Bisgaard-Church’s elevation reflects the growing clout of the DSA and its increasingly hostile posture toward Israel within the city’s progressive political establishment.