Israeli Consul General Rebukes NYC Mayor Over AIPAC Remarks

At a press conference in June, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the American Israel Political Action Committee (AIPAC) as “monsters” who move “millions in dark money” to preserve their power. Israeli Consul General in New York Ofir Akunis responded by asserting that the term echoes language used by Nazi Germany against Jews. He also linked the controversy to broader concerns about immigration, democracy, and the United States’ stance toward Israel.

Newsweek

Mamdani’s remarks emerged during a heated mayoral race that pitted him against former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. The 34-year-old democratic socialist won with just over 50 % of the vote, becoming New York’s first Muslim mayor. Polling showed Mamdani captured roughly 33 % of Jewish votes, while Cuomo secured 63 %. A Marist poll published in April indicated 45 % of New York’s Jewish residents believed the city was headed in the right direction under Mamdani. Nationwide, an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released last month found 44 % of Jewish respondents approved of Mamdani’s performance.

Newsweek

National sentiment toward Israel has shifted sharply. A Pew Research Center poll published in July reported unfavorable views of Israel rose from 43 % in 2022 to 62 % this year. Confidence in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fell to 27 % from 32 % the previous year, according to a March survey.

Newsweek

Mayor Mamdani defended his language, saying he was targeting AIPAC’s “dark-money operations” and its support for a status-quo he deems “immoral.” He emphasized his commitment to representing all New Yorkers, including the city’s sizable Jewish community. Akunis, meanwhile, accused Mamdani and Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed of using Israel as a platform to “spin social issues” and urged critics to focus on local problems such as traffic and street trash.

Newsweek

• “The current challenge now, except of course the events in the Middle East is the rise of anti-Semitism in the world, similar to the days before the Second World War, and this is a dangerous situation, not only to the State of Israel but to the Western world, because after they deal with the Jews, they will start with you, and they're already doing it,” — New York Ofir Akunis

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• “Mind your own business! Find solutions to the terrible traffic issues here. Find solutions to the trash in the streets. Mountains of trash in Midtown. I never saw such a thing,” — New York Ofir Akunis

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• “They need to learn about the history of the Israeli Arab conflict and to know that they launched the first massacres 100 years ago, not on October 7th.” — New York Ofir Akunis

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• “We ruined synagogues. We ruined beautiful communities. Zero countries in the world did it, except the Jewish state,” — New York Ofir Akunis

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• “The people who are preaching to Israel, they don't know anything about democracy,” — New York Ofir Akunis

Newsweek

Prime Minister Netanyahu is scheduled to visit New York for the United Nations General Assembly next month, a trip that may reignite debate over U.S.-Israel relations amid the city’s evolving political landscape.

Newsweek