NEW YORK – Thousands of miles away from the barrage of Hamas rockets, the violence in Israel and Gaza has riled the New York City mayoral campaign.
With less than two months to go until the election, what was once a given in New York politics – unwavering support for Israel – has become more complicated for Democratic candidates.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict brought turbulence into New York City’s mayoral race last week after a leading candidate, Andrew Yang, tweeted in support of Israel.
“I’m standing with the people of Israel who are coming under bombardment attacks, and condemn the Hamas terrorists,” Yang, a businessman and former Democratic presidential candidate, tweeted on May 10. “The people of NYC will always stand with our brothers and sisters in Israel who face down terrorism and persevere.”
His tweet, coming immediately after Hamas fired rockets into Israel and IDF attacks on Gaza in response, brought backlash from the Left.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat who has condemned the “occupation of Palestine,” called Yang’s statement “utterly shameful,” adding that it came during Ramadan.
A local Muslim group canceled an Eid al-Fitr event to mark the end of Ramadan with Yang.
He was reportedly confronted at a campaign stop in Queens for his statement’s failure to mention Palestinians.
Yang has been actively courting the Jewish vote, especially in the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) communities, where he has picked up some key endorsements ahead of next month’s Democratic primary. He has defended yeshiva schools in spite of criticism that some of them fail to meet basic educational standards. He has criticized the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement as antisemitic.
Despite some praise from Republicans, Yang received pushback from Democrats, prompting him to release a follow-up statement: “My tweet was overly simplistic in my treatment of a conflict that has a long and complex history full of tragedies.” He added that he “failed to acknowledge the pain and suffering of both sides.”
Democratic New York State Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein, who has endorsed Yang, disputed claims that Yang’s second statement dialed back his previous support of Israel.
“I’m totally okay with both of his statements, and I think they were consistent,” he told The Jerusalem Post. “As rockets were flying into Israel, Andrew rightfully tweeted and condemned Hamas. A subsequent statement a few days later that we mourn all innocent lives and pray for peace is something that we all support, myself included.”
Events this past week have proven Israel policy does play a role in New York’s mayoral campaign, Eichenstein said.
“The job of the mayor of the City of New York is to run the city,” he said. “But Israel is an issue of great importance to New Yorkers.”
A NEW YORK Daily News editorial praised Yang for his statement: “Unlike [mayoral candidate] Kathryn Garcia, who yesterday punted on the Mideast question on the ground that a mayor’s job doesn’t extend overseas, Yang is also right that New York City has long had a foreign policy: on Israel, on South Africa, on Northern Ireland, on Haiti, on Cuba. This wonderful polyglot place cares about its global cousins. And New York stands with Israel.”
Matt Nosanchuk, president and co-founder of the progressive advocacy group New York Jewish Agenda (NYJA) and former Jewish outreach director in the Obama White House, said it was logical for New York’s candidates to defend Israel.
“Israel is in the DNA of New York’s community,” he told the Post, adding that New York City has the largest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel.
“When you look at the responses that mayoral candidates have released thus far, some of it can be reflected as a more conventional viewpoint that doesn’t necessarily reflect the views of all of the Jews in the New York Jewish community,” he said.
Nosanchuk said he would like to see “more complex” statements from the candidates.
“NYJA identifies as liberal Zionist,” he said. “We support Israel, but we also support a two-state solution to the conflict. Statements that reflect that complexity are consistent with where many Jews in New York are.”
The majority of mayoral candidates did not address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Nosanchuk said.
“Yes, it’s an issue, but it’s not the only one,” he said. “But whoever becomes the next mayor, their relationship with the Jewish community and Israel is important.”
Centrist candidates Ray McGuire and Eric Adams also weighed in defending Israel, but they drew less skepticism than Yang, who has a larger social-media following.
McGuire, a businessman, tweeted: “I stand proudly with Israel.”
Adams, who is the Brooklyn Borough president and has longtime ties to the Orthodox community, said: “I stand shoulder to shoulder with the people Israel at this time of crisis.”
Asked last Wednesday if he had anything to change about his original statement, Adams reportedly said: “No act of aggression can justify the deaths of innocent children. Never again should religious sites be targeted – whether it be a synagogue or a mosque.”
Progressive candidates also weighed in with more nuanced statements.
Dianne Morales, a former nonprofit executive, tweeted: “Our world needs leaders who recognize humanity and the dignity of all lives. Whether in NYC, Colombia, Brazil or Israel-Palestine, state violence is wrong. Targeting civilians is wrong. Killing children is wrong.”
Scott Stringer, the only Jewish candidate in the race, said he condemned recent “horrific acts of terrorism against innocent Israelis” in Jerusalem but also urged the Israeli government to stop “wrongful evictions of Palestinian families.”
JTA contributed to this report.