Diaspora Affairs and Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli issued a statement (in Hebrew) in response to the victory of Zohran Mamdani in the New York mayoral election, saying that the city, once a symbol of freedom, “has handed over its keys to a Hamas supporter—whose positions are not far from those of the jihadists who murdered 3,000 of its residents two and a half decades ago.”

“This is a critical turning point for the city of New York,” Chikli continued. “The choice the city has made shakes the very foundations of the place that provided freedom and opportunity for success to countless Jewish refugees since the end of the 19th century—a place that became home to the largest Jewish community in the world outside of Israel.”

“It began with the anti-Zionist atmosphere on campuses funded by Qatari money, continued with the violent demonstrations of Hamas supporters at CUNY, NYU, and especially Columbia University, which became the stronghold of Hamas support in the US, and reached its peak this morning, when one of the biggest of the bullies who support Hamas murderers and rapists was elected mayor.”

“New York will no longer be what it once was—especially not for its Jewish community,” he warned. “The city is walking with open eyes toward the same abyss into which London has fallen. The torch of liberty in this beautiful city has been extinguished, and it’s chaval to to waste words on ‘how everything will be okay.’ Nothing will be okay in this city.”

“I invite the Jews of New York to seriously consider reestablishing their new homes in Israel. נצח ישראל לא ישקר

Former UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan stated, “The mayor of New York is Zohran Mamdani. It’s crucial to internalize this: an Israel-hater who sees us as an apartheid state that commits genocide and does not recognize Israel as a Jewish state was elected tonight to lead the most important city in the world, home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel.”

“This is a dark day. A sad day for anyone who understands the immense importance of the alliance with the United States and fears for its future. Because what happened in New York could soon happen throughout the U.S.—including in Congress and even in the White House. This is a HUGE warning sign.”

“The Big Apple has fallen,” Avigdor Lieberman wrote in English. He added (in Hebrew): “Only three decades after the 9/11 tragedy, New York has elected a racist, populist, and sworn Islamist as its mayor. Mamdani is the poster boy of the ‘silent jihad.'”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stated that Mamdani’s win “will be remembered forever in infamy as antisemitism triumphing over common sense.”

The chairman of the Knesset’s Israel-US caucus, MK Ohad Tal (Religious Zionism), said, “This morning brought the news that New York City has elected an Islamist, antisemitic, and communist leader—the progressive woke forces have won.”

Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel said that Mamdani’s win “is deeply concerning given his history of anti-Israel and anti-Jewish rhetoric. New York’s Jewish community deserves leaders who protect them, not target them.”

“Israel stands with our brothers and sisters in New York and will continue working with community leaders to ensure their safety and dignity,” she emphasized.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)