New York City Mayoral Contender Didn’t Back Measures Condemning Holocaust, Supporting Israel

Zohran Mamdani, a candidate in the New York City mayoral race, chose not to add his name to a New York State Assembly resolution last week that marked Israel’s 77th Independence Day. This move follows his earlier refusal to support a resolution denouncing the Holocaust — decisions likely to ignite controversy in a primary where he trails only Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic field.

Mamdani is facing sharp pushback from critics who argue his voting record reflects a consistent pattern. “He condemned Israel the day after October 7th, regularly gives interviews on unapologetic antisemitic platforms, and just proudly accepted an endorsement from a disgraced former fire-alarm pulling Congressman who denied October 7th rapes before walking that back,” said Assemblymember Sam Berger, referring to Mamdani’s recent endorsement from Jamaal Bowman. “His plan to ‘combat’ antisemitism is tossing more money at the Jews. At what point do we acknowledge that if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, and quacks like a duck — it’s a duck?”

Resolutions acknowledging Israel’s founding and remembering the Holocaust are typically passed with little dissent in Albany. This year, Mamdani was among just five of 150 Assembly members who refused to sign on to at least one of the two measures.

Campaign spokesman Andrew Epstein defended Mamdani, stating that the candidate “absolutely supports the Holocaust Memorial Day resolution.” Epstein pointed out that Mamdani has often spoken publicly about Holocaust Remembrance Day and has issued strong condemnations of the Holocaust on social media platforms.

“He had to narrow down the capacity,” Epstein said, citing Mamdani’s dual responsibilities as a sitting legislator and an active mayoral candidate. “He’s a very careful legislator,” he continued, “so he has not put his name on any resolutions” during this session.

Epstein was unable to explain why Mamdani had also abstained from supporting a similar Holocaust resolution earlier in 2024, a decision that came months before Mamdani launched his mayoral campaign.

Mamdani has previously co-sponsored numerous ceremonial resolutions over the years, including those for Juneteenth, Neurodiversity Pride Day, Women’s History Month, and Korean American Day. However, Epstein clarified that the eight resolutions his name has appeared on in 2025 were ones he was added to automatically.

The campaign made clear that Mamdani’s objection to the Israel resolution stemmed from a particular phrase stating that Israel “continues to strive for peace with security and dignity for itself, its neighbors and throughout the world in order to fulfill the prophecy of becoming a light unto the nations.”

“I think that is belied by the conduct of the right-wing government over the past 18 months,” Epstein said.

That stance was not shared by other Democratic lawmakers. “At a time when Democrats should be coming together to fight the very real threat from the Trump Administration and Republicans in Washington, some candidates seem more inclined to try and divide our party,” said Assemblymember Nily Rozic, who sponsored both resolutions and is the first Israeli-born legislator in the state Assembly.

“Supporting Israel’s right to exist is a fundamental American value — one that goes back more than 77 years and that an overwhelming majority of Jewish New Yorkers support. This is not something Democrats should be relitigating now when our resources and energies are greatly needed elsewhere.”

With nearly 1 million Jews living in New York City, it represents the second largest Jewish population in the world after Tel Aviv. Cuomo has made the rise of antisemitism a centerpiece of his campaign, calling it “the most important issue” in the race. Mayor Eric Adams, who bypassed the Democratic primary to pursue re-election as an independent, has also prioritized the fight against antisemitism. Last week, Adams unveiled a plan to prohibit the use of masks during campus protests in response to escalating tensions related to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Both Cuomo and Adams have taken aim at Mamdani for what they consider troubling positions on Jewish issues.

Mamdani was notably absent from the Assembly chamber on Wednesday when the Israel resolution passed with broad support.

Instead, he spent part of the day in Co-op City, where his campaign received a high-profile endorsement from Jamaal Bowman. Bowman, who lost his seat in Congress last year after voicing harsh critiques of Israel in the aftermath of Hamas’ October 7 attacks, backed Mamdani’s campaign for City Hall — a move sure to further inflame an already heated race.