by Joanie Margulies
Joey Saban a Democratic district leader from Brooklyn and political strategist, expressed his dismay at the implications of Mamdani’s win, particularly for the Jewish community.
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The outcome of the Democratic mayoral primary in New York City has ignited deep concerns within the Jewish community, particularly in the aftermath of Zohran Mamdani's victory. With Mamdani's controversial positions and rhetoric, many Jewish New Yorkers are questioning what lies ahead for the city they have long called home.
Joey Saban, 32, a Democratic district leader from Brooklyn and political strategist, expressed his dismay at the implications of Mamdani’s win, particularly for the Jewish community.
Saban is a District Leader in New York State's 45th Assembly District. "This was a massive wake-up call for the Jewish community. Your vote counts, and you can't sit this out," Saban told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday, in the morning hours after the election, emphasizing the need for Jewish New Yorkers to become more politically engaged. He pointed out the relatively low voter turnout among Jews, with only a small percentage of the community casting ballots in the election. “There are 1.2 or 1.3 million Jews in New York, and probably half of them, if not less, voted in this election. That’s a huge issue.”
Other Jewish New Yorkers believe that many voters did not understand the “ranking” voting system used in the election.
Saban believes Mamdani’s success is rooted in what he perceives as a political miscalculation within the Jewish community. “The Jewish community entrusted Andrew Cuomo with defeating an anti-Semite, and we got screwed,” he stated. “This is what happens when you hide candidates from the voters instead of actively campaigning and fighting for every vote.”
"What's more important than whether this particular person is anti-semitic or anti-Israel is the fact that someone who has espoused an anti-semitic and anti-Israel narrative broke through and won in a predominant Jewish-minded city,” Miller added, alluding to other presented issues.
Miller sees the rise of Mamdani as part of a broader pattern of growing anti-Western sentiment in the US, which she believes has roots in global movements like the Islamic Jihad movement. “This is a real threat to this country,” Miller warned. “It’s not just anti-Semitism or anti-Israel sentiment, it’s an anti-capitalist, anti-Western civilization movement.” She expressed her belief that his presumed election would begin a pattern of polarization, and that she believed his candidacy is a direct threat to capitalism, Western civilization, and the American way of life — starting in one of the country’s biggest, most prominent cities.
Miller added that she believed Mamdani’s win was progressive New York City’s response to the election of Donald Trump for US President.
Saban echoed similar sentiments, asserting that Mamdani’s socialist policies and rhetoric pose an existential threat to New York City. “There is an existential threat to New York City at this point in time, and we have a responsibility to figure out who we’re going to support to prevent an anti-Semite from getting anywhere near Gracie Mansion.”
Despite the fear and uncertainty, both Saban and Miller are optimistic that the Jewish community can rise to the occasion. "We have to come together as a community," Saban said, "and we need to make sure that an anti-Semite doesn't get within 10 feet of the mayor’s office."
Outcome is a warning not just for Jewish community, but for NYC's future too
For Miller, the outcome is a warning not only for the Jewish community but for New York City's future as a whole. "We really have to wake up," she urged, “Mamdani could be the nicest guy on the planet, but what’s more concerning is the fact that someone with anti-Semitic views has broken through and won in a city with such a large Jewish population. This is just the beginning of a much larger global trend."As the dust settles from the primary, both agreed that the coming months will be critical. Saban, who has been involved in local politics for years, is already strategizing for the November election. He expressed hope that the Jewish community, along with other groups like Black and Italian communities, would come together to prevent Mamdani from winning in the general election.
“The best-case scenario for the Jewish community is that we rally behind Eric Adams," Saban explained, pointing to the incumbent mayor's recent bid for re-election. "He’s the best chance we have. Even if he doesn’t have the Democratic line, the fact that he’s the incumbent gives him a tremendous advantage.”
Miller, on the other hand, sees a more existential battle brewing. "It’s not just about Mamdani," she said. "It’s about the larger movement taking over not just New York City, but America. We’re witnessing the end of Western civilization as we know it. This is happening, and it’s happening right in front of our eyes."
However, not all Jewish New York City residents express the same level of concern.
M. is a resident of New York City and did not quite vote for Mamdani, but ranked him higher than other candidates, wanting to keep Cuomo out of the question along with many other voters. “I genuinely supported Brad Lander and his bid; I find him to be principled, progressive, experienced, and I agree with both his views and policy visions. He's accomplished a lot as comptroller that's been amazing for the city, and his arrest by ICE for defending our immigrant neighbors further validated my choice,” M. told the Post.
She expressed her confidence in Lander’s familiarity with the city’s Jewish landscape and founded NYJA, a nonprofit she trusted.
But when voting, Mamdani wasn’t really even at the top of her list. Her goal was defeating Cuomo. She wanted to hold former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo accountable for the sexual harassment accusations. “He hasn't lived in NYC for 35 years, and his bid for mayor was much more of his attempt at a political comeback from resigning in disgrace in 2021 than an actual sense of care for the city,” she added.
“As much as I supported Lander and wanted him to win, Mamdani was the most poised to defeat Cuomo, and I'm personally glad he did. Brad Lander's cross-endorsement really pushed Mamdani to the #2 slot for me - he said himself he wouldn't have endorsed him if he thought Mamdani couldn't protect the Jewish community,” M. told the Post. “I also didn't appreciate Cuomo's campaign utilizing islamophobic stereotypes towards Mamdani, and being backed by Trump donors.”
“Cuomo's campaign being run in that way by donors like Bill Ackman told me that Cuomo would not fight back against Trump, which in my view is FAR more dangerous for Jews than Mamdani's rhetoric, which has often been in poor taste and simultaneously has been taken very out of context,” she said.
“Jews have always been safest in pluralistic, open democracies, and Mamdani will, in my view, run a much more democratic New York than Cuomo and his Trump and real estate backers would.”
She noted that it was often hard to discern what was truly a Mamdani policy position, and what was merely a smear campaign against him from opponents.|
As Jewish New Yorkers, along with other concerned citizens, prepare for what lies ahead, the fight for the future of New York City and its values is far from over. Whether Mamdani’s victory in the primary will translate into a mayoral win in November remains to be seen, but the growing unease within the Jewish community suggests that the battle for the city’s soul is only just beginning.
Joanie Margulies
Source: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-859034
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