How Gaza And Israel Became Flashpoints In New York City's Mayoral Race

As the Democratic primary unfolds, a local election turns into a proxy battle over the Israel-Palestine conflict exposing deep divides among voters and reshaping campaign rhetoric in unprecedented ways.

What began as a traditional New York City mayoral race has transformed into something far more global in scope: a referendum of sorts on the war in Gaza and US support for Israel, a Guardian report showed.

Amid airstrikes and rocket fire thousands of miles away, the battle lines of an international conflict are being drawn in the boroughs of America’s largest city—refracting through campaign mailers, endorsements, and social media attacks.

According to the Guardian, State Senator Sam Sutton, speaking from a Jerusalem bomb shelter as Iran and Israel exchanged fire, released a video urging New Yorkers to vote for Andrew Cuomo. “There is a mayoral primary coming up where one of the candidates does not believe the Jewish state has a right to exist,” he warned, referring to Zohran Mamdani, a state assembly member with a long record of pro-Palestinian advocacy. “We don’t want to be in a situation like this in America.”

That stark message—linking a local New York election to a regional war in the Middle East—crystallized how the Gaza conflict has come to dominate the campaign trail. What should have been a contest focused on housing, public safety, and education has instead become, for many, a litmus test for where candidates stand on Zionism, Palestine, and antisemitism.

A Proxy Battle On Home Turf

Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, son of Indian filmmaker Mira Nair, and a Muslim New Yorker, has been at the center of the political storm. He has long advocated for Palestinian rights—co-founding a Students for Justice in Palestine chapter in college, and more recently, introducing legislation in Albany to end state funding for illegal Israeli settlements.

His rise in the polls has rattled the political establishment. Cuomo, attempting a comeback after resigning from the governorship under scandal, has seized the moment to frame Mamdani as “dangerous,” casting himself as a bulwark against antisemitism. With backing from deep-pocketed pro-Israel donors such as hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman, Cuomo has flooded mailboxes with attack ads—some critics say they’re racially charged—branding Mamdani’s views as tantamount to hate.

In public statements, Cuomo has equated anti-Zionism with antisemitism, a position that resonates with many in the city’s large Jewish population—over one million strong, the largest Jewish community outside Israel.

Meanwhile, Mayor Eric Adams, running as an independent due to plummeting Democratic support, has also jumped into the fray. He recently adopted a controversial definition of antisemitism aligned with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, which many critics say conflates criticism of Israel with bigotry. Adams is reportedly considering launching an "EndAntisemitism" party line to further brand his campaign.

Progressive Pushback And Islamophobia Accusations

For Mamdani, the backlash has been personal. He has received death threats, faced online hate, and described the ordeal as emotionally exhausting. Still, he maintains that his criticism of Israeli policy stems from a commitment to justice, not hatred.

“I know the pain of being part of a community that has been vilified,” Mamdani said to the Guardian, “and I stand with Jewish New Yorkers against antisemitism just as firmly as I stand for the rights of Palestinians.”

Supporters like Sumaya Awad, a Palestinian New Yorker and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, say the attacks on Mamdani are reminiscent of post-9/11 Islamophobia. “These are textbook smear tactics,” she said. “But Zohran is not backing down.”

The progressive coalition backing Mamdani includes young voters, immigrant communities, and many of the city’s estimated 800,000 Muslims. His campaign has tapped into a growing frustration among voters who see mainstream Democratic figures as either ignoring or enabling human rights abuses in Gaza.

A Jewish-Progressive Divide

Yet not all Jewish voters align with Cuomo or Adams. Brad Lander, New York City Comptroller and a mayoral candidate who is himself Jewish, has openly supported Mamdani, accusing his rivals of weaponizing Jewish identity for political gain.

“They’re using Jews as pawns—not to make anyone safer, but to gain power,” Lander said in an interview. “It’s cynical and divisive.”

He added: “Thankfully, it’s not the job of the mayor to solve the Middle East conflict. But it is their job to create unity and inclusion here in New York.”