Israel's Diaspora Minister, Amichai Chikli, lamented on Wednesday the election of Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York City and warned that his victory in the elections will force"Jews to flee" to Israel.
Thus, he accused Mamdani of being a “Hamas supporter” and urged all New York Jews to leave the country. “The city was once a global symbol of freedom, but it has now fallen into the hands of a Hamas supporter, someone whose stance is not far removed from that of the fanatical jihadists who killed 3,000 people 25 years ago,” Chikli said, referring to the September 11, 2001 attacks.
“This is a turning point for the city. The decision they (the voters) have made undermines what New York was built on—a place that gave freedom and opportunity to countless Jewish refugees in the late 19th century, a place that became the largest Jewish community outside of Israel,” he asserted in a statement released on social media.
Chikli stated that this change “did not happen suddenly.” “It began with the anti-Zionist atmosphere on campuses (...) and continues with the violent demonstrations by Hamas supporters,” he lamented, while pointing to universities as places of “support” for the Palestinian armed group. “This reached its peak this morning, when the latest of the thugs who back Hamas rapists was elected mayor,” he said.
“New York will never be the same, especially for the Jewish community. The city is heading for the abyss, the same abyss that London is already in. I urge the Jews of New York to seriously reconsider moving to Israel,” he concluded.
For his part, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, clarified that Mamdani's victory"will not stop" Israelis."His inflammatory words will not deter us. The Jewish community of New York and the entire United States deserves security and respect. We will continue to strengthen our ties with the leaders of this community to ensure our safety and well-being," he stated.
Despite the criticism, Mamdani himself has assured that the city will continue “fighting antisemitism” under his leadership and has committed to “building a Mayor's office that stands with Jewish New Yorkers,” and not “one that hesitates in the fight against antisemitism.”
He also promised a sense of"belonging" to the more than one million Muslims who reside in the city, including those in"centers of power." "New York will no longer be a city where Islamophobia can be exploited to win elections," he stated.
