Opinion

For those who spend too much of their time on social media, there is a nefarious and disturbing trend gathering on every side of the political spectrum: the mainstreaming of Jew-hatred. This stems from the ridiculous notion that the State of Israel “owns” the United States in some way, a notion that is never explained or elaborated upon aside from conspiracy theorizing. Those who promote this concept accuse their detractors of being “Israel first,” yet they are the ones who constantly have Israel on the brain.

Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the recent election was a debacle for the Jewish community that was years in the making. We need to look beyond the obvious reasons in order to understand what we are up against.

Outgoing New York City Mayor Eric Adams was welcomed in Israel this week with the praise expected of a national leader, meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and other leading officials. It was his second visit to the Jewish state as Mayor, underscoring the vast policy contrast to Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who routinely calls Israel an apartheid state engaging in genocide.

The return of the remains of Staff Sergeant Itay Chen, Lior Rudaeff, and Lieutenant Hadar Goldin for burial in Israel brings us one step closer to closing the loop set in motion on October 7, 2023. Our leaders remain determined to bring all the fallen back to their loved ones. Due to the valiant efforts of IDF soldiers, the leadership of our government, and the continued support and pressure from President Donald Trump and his diplomats, a successful outcome is now in sight.

“We will prove that there is no problem too large for government to solve, and no concern too small for it to care about.” — Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani during his victory speech.

In his debate appearances, mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani avoided answering questions on Israel by focusing on affordability as his top policy priority, but in the aftermath of the election, the cause that inspired him toward a political career is making headlines. Last week, the New York Post publicized an agenda list written by the Democratic Socialists of America’s city chapter, whose “anti-war working group” discussed severing the city’s ties with Israel on a dozen policies.