Kathy Hochul just denied Israel’s right to exist, legalized prostitution, voted to throw open the jails and defund the NYPD, and said New York should be a socialist city.

By endorsing Zohran Mamdani for mayor, the governor has backed all this and more, embracing an antisemitic radical in a stunning act of political cowardice.

Oh, she claims in a mealy-mouthed New York Times op-ed that she has had “frank conversations” with Mamdani. She says we “discussed the need to combat the rise of antisemitism urgently and unequivocally.”

And how did that discussion go? Did Mamdani suddenly realize that Israel has the right to defend itself from Hamas terrorists who killed, raped and kidnapped Jews? Does he no longer libel the nation as an apartheid state? We’ve not seen the news.

In fact, Mamdani doubled down this weekend that if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to New York when he’s mayor, he’d have him arrested in an extralegal act of diplomatic sabotage.

So Hochul “discussed.” Mamdani ignored. And Hochul endorsed him anyway.

Same with quality of life. “I emphasized to him my belief in keeping and attracting businesses so that New York remains the center of the global economy,” Hochul writes. She does not say what Mamdani answered. Perhaps because Mamdani doesn’t believe in capitalism and doesn’t care if New York remains the center of the global economy?

“Mr. Mamdani and I don’t see eye to eye on everything, and I don’t expect us to,” Hochul says.

But what, pray tell, do you agree with? The only issue mentioned is “affordability.”

But does Hochul then back Mamdani’s proposals to cap all rent indefinitely, have city-run grocery stores rather than private ones, and raise taxes astronomically? Hochul’s stated common ground is broad and fanciful. She could have written: “Me and Zohran both like puppies.”

So why, after months of criticism, is Kathy Hochul becoming a fellow traveler?

Because she’s terrified of the far-left, and worries what will happen to her poll numbers if Mamdani is elected.

Hochul shames herself in the endorsement, writing, “Public life is an extraordinary privilege. It should never be about power for its own sake, but rather always about making the lives of others better.”

Yet that’s exactly what she’s doing here. In the past few months, she has claimed to disagree with Mamdani on almost every major issue, yet now decides to betray the people of New York for her own career.

And you know what? It won’t even work. Not only has Hochul failed to stand up for her supposed principles, but her late, lukewarm backing of Mamdani will do nothing to placate the Democratic Socialists of America, who will eat her alive at the first opportunity.

None of the “discussions” she had with Mamdani will change his stripes, and he will betray and embarrass her as mayor. Hochul could have stood up for what is right. She chose to be a jellyfish instead.