Zohran and the Jews
Here’s what no member of the Israeli Knesset has ever done. They’re about to cast a critical vote and then they stop and say, “Wait! Before I decide what to do, what does the Mayor of New York City think?”
Literally no one in power in Israel cares what our mayor, whoever it is, thinks about Israel. Until now, in New York City politics, it was clearly a benefit for the mayor and mayoral candidates to be staunchly pro-Israel. Then the politics changed, Mamdani saw the opportunity and changed the approach accordingly. Today, Israel is unpopular, not just among the far left but unpopular among Americans and even unpopular with many mainstream American Jews. As a fervent Zionist, I see that as a tragedy, but electorally, the reality is that the politics have shifted from praising Israel to criticizing it.
Now, I believe that Mamdani truly does not like Israel (unlike a lot of progressive Democrats who just chase the hot issue). I believe he believes that the Israelis are colonizers and does not want a Jewish state (at least where it physically exists now). With that said, I don’t believe that anyone who makes decisions in Israel truly cares about the mayor either way.1
While trying to arrest Netanayhu on his next trip here is as foolish as when Rudy threatened to arrest Arafat, how Mamdani views Israel doesn’t matter all that much. What matters is how he responds when someone invariably vandalizes a synagogue or defaces a Jewish-owned store or attacks someone wearing a yarmulke. When that happens, the best thing Mamdani can do is go way over the top in his response. Send five times as many cops than are actually needed. Send Tisch, go to the synagogue yourself and hold a press conference vowing to catch the perpetrators and demanding justice.
Make the case to Jewish people living in New York City that when it comes to our safety, we can count on you. That we know that if we are harassed or assaulted or vandalized because of our beliefs, you will use every resource at your disposal to stop it. If you do that, most Jews will feel secure in New York City. Sure, you’ll still always have some people who hate you for your views on Israel. That’s a political tradeoff that has worked overwhelmingly to your benefit so far. But it’s not what really matters.
At the end of the day, the question for Jews here is the same as it is for all New Yorkers: do I feel safe? If a city feels clean, safe and well run, people of every conceivable origin are happy. If not, they’re not. This issue will present itself quickly enough. And it’s an easy opportunity for Mamdani to put it to bed.
If you’ve talked to any Israelis lately, you already know they do not care at all what Americans think they should do.