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Poll: Nearly half of Israelis would avoid NYC after Mamdani victory

Eighty-three percent of respondents believe the mayor-elect is an antisemite.

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani votes at a polling location at the Frank Sinatra School of Arts in the borough of Queens, N.Y., on Nov. 4, 2025. Photo by Leonardo Munoz/AFP via Getty Images.
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani votes at a polling location at the Frank Sinatra School of Arts in the borough of Queens, N.Y., on Nov. 4, 2025. Photo by Leonardo Munoz/AFP via Getty Images.

Nearly half of Israelis plan to avoid travel to New York in the wake of the election as mayor of Zohran Mamdani, whom they overwhelmingly perceive as antisemitic, a poll released on Thursday shows.

The findings highlight a significant level of concern among Israelis over Mamdani’s election and global antisemitism and its implications for international travel.

Forty-six percent of respondents said they would avoid traveling to the city, 34% said they would continue visiting as usual, and 20% were unsure when asked whether Mamdani’s election would affect their decision to visit New York City, the i24NEWS poll found.

New York City—home to the largest Jewish community in the world outside of Israel—has long been the top travel destination for Israeli tourists.

The survey also found that a whopping 83% of respondents said they believe Mamdani is antisemitic, while 8% disagreed, and 9% said they did not know.

The results highlight anew the huge gap in worldview between Israelis and the predominantly left-wing American Jewish community, with one-third of New York Jews voting for the far-left socialist, according to exit polling.

The poll, which was conducted on Nov. 6 among 501 Israelis aged 18 and over, had a margin of error of ±4.4%.

Mamdani will be sworn in for a four-year term on Jan. 1.

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