I'm a Zionist Jew from New York; I Had to Vote Mamdani
The decision weighed heavily on me for weeks. As a New Yorker and lifelong Zionist, I kept asking myself, "Who would best lead our city forward in such troubling times?"
Ultimately, a conversation with a respected family friend, an Israeli who has lived in New York for 25 years, helped clarify my choice.
"I'd vote for Bibi, who you know I despise, before I'd vote for Cuomo."
This friend also noted that many Israelis, who warned me Mamdani was an antisemite and a threat to Jews in America, lacked the necessary context to fully grasp the mayoral race. Similarly, Israelis often criticize Americans for failing to understand their deep support for the Palestinian cause.
Americans backing the Palestinians often did not understand the meaning behind the phrase, "From the river to the sea." Many had never visited Israel and didn't realize how narrow the borders are or how frequent the attacks. They failed to grasp how Hamas has deliberately placed fighters and ammunition in hospitals, schools, and mosques for decades, endangering their own civilians. Nor did they understand how the Netanyahu government dismissed the possibility of a Hamas attack on the scale of October 7.
Summary
This reflection reveals the complex perspectives behind voting decisions shaped by personal identity, geopolitical context, and differing awareness levels about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.