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The Israeli minister told American Jews in New York to move to Israel after
Zohran Mamdani
was elected as the city’s first Muslim mayor.
Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Minister, Amichai Chikli, called Mamdani’s victory “the biggest turning point for New York City.”
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He called the victory “shaking the foundations of a place that has provided freedom and opportunity for countless Jewish refugees.”
“Jewish citizens in New York should strongly consider making the land of Israel their new home,” said Chikli, quoted from
Middle East Eye
.
Chikli was previously known to support ethnic cleansing and occupation of southern Lebanon.Settlements in Gaza called Mamdani a “supporter of Hamas.”
He said the 34-year-old Muslim politician’s views were “not much different from the jihadist fanatics who, 25 years ago, killed 3,000 people of their own people,” referring to the September 11 attacks.
Apart from Chikli, a number of other Israeli officials also expressed concern about Mamdani’s victory.
Israel’s Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, described the election results as “a triumph of antisemitism over common sense.”
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Danny Danon, also said they would not be afraid to face what he called “Mamdani’s provocative statements.”
The strong reaction of Israeli officials to Mamdani’s victory was inseparable from his political background and views.
Mamdani was born in Uganda to an Indian father and an Indian mother.He moved to the United States when he was still a child.
Once considered an outside candidate, his victory in the Democratic Party primary in June placed him as the top frontrunner in the election.
While New York was facing major protests over Israel’s war on Gaza, Mamdani remained firmly pro-Palestinian throughout the campaign.
He accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and said he would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu according to an International Criminal Court warrant if the leader visited New York.
However, Mamdani withdrew his statement.
Mamdani’s stance on the Israeli-Palestinian issue actually helped his primary victory in the primaries.
During the campaign, he faced various accusations of antisemitism funded by a super PAC called “Fix the City” worth US$25 million (around Rp. 400 billion).
He was also the target of Islamophobic abuse and death threats.
In his victory speech, Mamdani promised to “build a city on a hill that stands strong with New York’s Jewish community and is unafraid to fight the plague of antisemitism.”
(rnp/bac)
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