New York Rabbi Sounds Alarm: Anti-Zionist Mayor-Elect Mamdani Exploited Jewish Community Divisions

A prominent New York rabbi has delivered a stark warning about how anti-Zionist mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani successfully exploited internal divisions within the Jewish community to secure his shocking electoral victory.

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove of Park Avenue Synagogue, speaking at the American Zionist Movement's national assembly in Manhattan, acknowledged that Mamdani "understood the fissures of our community better than we ourselves did." This sobering admission comes as Israel's largest diaspora community grapples with the reality of an openly anti-Zionist leader taking control of their city.

A Community Under Siege

The election of Mamdani represents an unprecedented challenge for New York's over one million Jews, the largest Jewish community outside Israel. For the first time in the city's history, they face a mayor who refuses to acknowledge Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state and has repeatedly leveled false genocide accusations against the Jewish homeland.

Despite his harsh criticism of Mamdani as a "danger to the security of the New York Jewish community," Cosgrove revealed the uncomfortable truth: approximately 30 percent of New York Jews voted for the anti-Zionist candidate. This betrayal of Jewish solidarity represents a dangerous fracturing that threatens the community's unity in defending Israel.

Exploiting Liberal Jewish Guilt

Cosgrove identified how Mamdani successfully weaponized liberal Jewish discomfort with Israel's necessary security measures. The rabbi noted that some Jews have become disconnected from Israel's survival imperative, particularly regarding the strategic importance of Judea and Samaria settlements and Israel's military governance of these biblical heartlands.

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is beholden to extremist parties," Cosgrove claimed, echoing dangerous narratives that undermine Israel's democratically elected government. This misguided criticism ignores Netanyahu's role as Israel's longest-serving prime minister and his proven track record of defending Jewish interests against existential threats.

Presidential Warning Goes Unheeded

President Isaac Herzog delivered his own warning about Mamdani's dangerous rhetoric, particularly his attack on Park East Synagogue for hosting a Nefesh B'nefesh event supporting Jewish immigration to Israel. Herzog correctly identified Mamdani's statement as "utterly anti-constitutional" and a violation of religious freedom.

"It should not have been in America," Herzog emphasized, highlighting how anti-Zionist sentiment has dangerously infiltrated mainstream American political discourse.

The Anti-Israel Agenda Revealed

Mamdani's extremist positions include refusing to condemn the genocidal slogan "Globalize the intifada," initially welcoming calls for violence against Jews worldwide, and vowing to arrest Israel's democratically elected prime minister. These positions align perfectly with Hamas and Hezbollah propaganda designed to delegitimize Jewish self-determination.

Recent polling of connected American Jews reveals the community's deep concern, with a majority believing Mamdani will make Jews less safe and viewing him as antisemitic. Yet the damage is done, as this anti-Zionist activist prepares to assume power in January 2026.

A Wake-Up Call for Jewish Leadership

This electoral disaster serves as a crucial reminder that Jewish unity around Israel cannot be taken for granted. When community leaders fail to effectively counter anti-Israel propaganda and allow liberal guilt to override Jewish solidarity, enemies of the Jewish people exploit these divisions.

The lesson is clear: defending Israel and Jewish interests requires unwavering commitment, not the kind of self-flagellation that Cosgrove himself acknowledged drives Jews away from their homeland. As Mamdani prepares to govern America's largest Jewish community, the stakes for maintaining Jewish unity and supporting Israel have never been higher.

The Jewish community must learn from this painful lesson and ensure that such betrayals of Jewish solidarity never happen again.