Story perspectives

Hochul Urges Mamdani to Focus on Governance, Not Netanyahu

8/23/2026

Summary

Story summary

Governor Kathy Hochul urged Mayor Zohran Mamdani to prioritize governance over foreign-policy issues.
Mamdani posted a video calling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a war criminal and saying he cannot arrest him.
Hochul pledged to “throw my body against any antisemitism” and backed Jewish groups.
NYPD reinstated its Israel liaison and kept Commissioner Jessica Tisch, a “proud Zionist.”
NYPD said 70% of hate crimes have targeted Jews since Mamdani became mayor.

History

Historical Context

In August 1991, a car crash that killed Gavin Cato sparked a three-day riot in Crown Heights, pitting Black residents against Orthodox Jews and leaving several injured and one Jewish student dead. The unrest shaped the 1993 mayoral race, led to stricter hate-crime laws and the Crown Heights Coalition. Today Governor Kathy Hochul’s antisemitic-crime pledge and Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s video echo those lingering communal tensions.

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Story summary

Governor Kathy Hochul urged Mayor Zohran Mamdani to prioritize governance over foreign-policy issues.
Mamdani posted a video calling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a war criminal and saying he cannot arrest him.
Hochul pledged to “throw my body against any antisemitism” and backed Jewish groups.
NYPD reinstated its Israel liaison and kept Commissioner Jessica Tisch, a “proud Zionist.”
NYPD said 70% of hate crimes have targeted Jews since Mamdani became mayor.

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