Israel’s diaspora minister slams New York’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani as a Hamas supporter and urges city’s Jews to relocate to Israel.
JERUSALEM: Israel’s diaspora minister has condemned New York’s newly elected mayor Zohran Mamdani as a Hamas supporter.
Right-wing Minister of Diaspora and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli issued the statement on social media platform X on Wednesday.
“The city that once stood as a symbol of global freedom has handed over its keys to a Hamas supporter,” Chikli wrote.
He claimed Mamdani’s views were “not far from those of the jihadist fanatics who, 25 years ago, murdered three thousand of its own people,” referencing the 9/11 attacks.
Chikli further declared that “New York will never be the same again, especially not for its Jewish community.”
He invited “the Jews of New York to seriously consider making their new home in the Land of Israel.”
Mamdani, 34, will become New York’s first Muslim mayor when he takes office in January.
The leftist politician has recently made efforts to denounce antisemitism while also addressing Islamophobia he has personally experienced.
A longstanding supporter of Palestinian rights, Mamdani has previously described Israel as an “apartheid regime” and called the Gaza war a “genocide.”
His positions have drawn criticism from some Jewish community members and conservative voices.
Mamdani secured his election victory despite fierce attacks on his policies and Muslim background from business elites, conservative media, and former President Donald Trump.
Trump intervened in the race on Tuesday, labeling Mamdani a “Jew hater” on his social media platform. – AFP
