In the city with the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, the candidates for New York City mayor clashed over the Jewish state and its war with Hamas in a three-way debate on Thursday night.
Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, a state representative and self-identified Socialist, refused to back down on describing Israel’s response to Oct. 7 as a “genocide” and reiterated that he did not support Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.
“I’ve said time and again that I recognize Israel’s right to exist,” he said.
“I would not recognize any state’s right to exist with a system of hierarchy on the basis of race or religion,” added Mamdani, who has said that he would have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested should the premier come to the Big Apple.
Mamdani quickly addressed a question that he didn’t answer during an interview with Fox News.
Martha MacCallum, of the network, asked him if Hamas should disarm. “I believe that any future here in New York City is one that we have to make sure that’s affordable for all,” Mamdani told Fox News on Wednesday. “And as it pertains to Israel and Palestine, that we have to ensure that there is peace and that is the future that we have to fight for.”
MacCallum pressed him on whether Hamas should disarm. “I don’t really have opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel beyond the question of justice and safety,” he said.
At Thursday night’s debate, Mamdani said, “Of course, I believe they should lay down their arms.”
“I’m proud to be one of the first elected officials in the state who called for a ceasefire,” he said. “The reason we called for that is not only for the end of the genocide but also an unimpeded access to humanitarian aid.”
He said he hopes that the ceasefire will hold.
“I’m hopeful it is just,” he said. “For it to be just, we also have to ensure that it addresses the conditions that preceded this, conditions like occupation, like the siege and apartheid. This is what I am hopeful for.”
‘That is code ... ’
Andrew Cuomo, a former New York governor running as an independent after losing the Democratic nomination, blasted Mamdani on the issue during the debate.
“The assemblyman will not denounce Hamas,” Cuomo said. “The assemblyman just said in his response that it depends on occupation. That is code for meaning that Israel does not have a right to exist as a Jewish state, which he has never acknowledged.”
“That is ‘from the river to the sea,’” Cuomo said. “That’s why he won’t denounce ‘globalize the intifada,’ which means ‘kill all Jews.’”
A Quinnipiac University poll in the first week of October suggested that Cuomo has been narrowing Mamdani’s double-digit lead as he picked up the support from Jewish voters, who initially supported New York City Mayor Eric Adams after he dropped out of the race. (A Democrat, Adams was also running as an independent.) An even more recent poll from Fox News showed that Mamdani’s lead had significantly increased.
“I want to be very clear. The ‘occupation’ is a reference to international law and the violation of it, which Mr. Cuomo has no regard for since he signed up to be Benjamin Netanyahu’s legal defense team during the course of this genocide,” Mamdani said during the debate.
The third candidate in the race, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels, criticized both Mamdani and Cuomo for failing to recognize U.S. President Donald Trump’s role in, at least temporarily, ending the fighting in Gaza.
“Trump should have been applauded,” Sliwa said. “I certainly applauded him for bringing peace to Gaza and trying to end the hostilities in the war. Give credit where credit is due.”
Cuomo responded that he did applaud Trump and his administration. “I think it was a great accomplishment,” he said.
Sliwa also went after Mamdani at a time of rising Jew-hatred. “Jews don’t trust that you are going to be there for them when they are the victims of antisemitic attacks,” he said.
