Zohran Mamdani's NYC mayor win takes Israel by storm; Netanyahu's allies say 'antisemitism triumphed'

Zohran Mamdani’s stunning victory in the New York mayoral election has triggered outrage among Israeli lawmakers. Leaders across Israel’s political spectrum — including Itamar Ben Gvir, Avigdor Lieberman, and Gilad Kariv — condemned Mamdani, labeling him “anti-Israel” and “a supporter of Hamas.” Ben Gvir called the result a triumph of antisemitism, while Lieberman warned that New York had “fallen to silent jihad.” Mamdani, a vocal critic of Israel’s Gaza campaign, previously said he would have Netanyahu arrested if he entered New York under ICC war crime warrants. Despite the backlash, the new mayor pledged to combat antisemitism in the city and affirmed Israel’s right to exist as a state with equal rights for all. The controversy underscores growing global divisions over Israel’s actions in Gaza and the shifting political sentiment in Western cities.