NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday criticized his opponent in the mayoral race, former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, over recent statements about Israel, as reports about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza opened fissures in support for Israel among pro-Israel US Democrats.
Adams and Cuomo have both been firm supporters of Israel who have leaned into the Jewish vote during their campaigns for mayor. They share a similar, moderate base and are running against the heavily favored Democratic party nominee, Zohran Mamdani, a harsh critic of Israel, ahead of the election in November.
In a Tuesday interview with Bloomberg News, Cuomo said: “Do I support what the Israeli government is doing vis-à-vis Gaza? No. Do I support Israel impeding humanitarian aid? No.”
“Does that justify antisemitic activity in New York City against Jewish people? No, right? But now it’s a finer line in the discussion,” he said.
The statement marked a shift for Cuomo, who has been firmly supportive of Israel since the start of the war.
Cuomo, who was also a firm supporter of Israel as governor, later distanced himself from that criticism, telling The New York Times: “I was airing what some people feel. You have some people who feel that Israel is not acting appropriately. That’s their opinion.”
Cuomo also accused Mamdani of being “pro-Hamas.” Mamdani has not explicitly supported Hamas and Cuomo said he was referring to Mamdani’s support in a rap song for the so-called Holy Land Five, a Muslim charity group convicted of supporting the terror group.
Mamdani also criticized Cuomo on Wednesday, saying on X that Cuomo “couldn’t allow his first, tepid recognition of reality — that the Israeli government, with the full support of the Trump administration, is starving the people of Gaza — last more than a few hours without walking it back.”
Cuomo has also continued to advocate for the release of the hostages in recent days. He often appears at events wearing a yellow ribbon symbolizing the plight of the captives.
Adams was asked about Cuomo’s statements during a budget announcement at City Hall on Wednesday.
“He seems to be walking back a lot of things,” Adams said of Cuomo. “People just need to be true to who they are and I’m true to who I am. I don’t want to see innocent people die here in our country and I don’t want to see innocent people die in Gaza, in Israel.”
“What I do know, that Hamas needs to be destroyed, every hostage should come home, and we should do as much as possible that innocent children are not dying in any land, including in the Middle East.”
Other pro-Israel New York leaders have shifted their tone due to the reports of starvation in Gaza, including Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James. New York is home to the largest population of Jews outside of Israel.
On Thursday, Hochul issued rare criticism of Israel, saying in a statement that reports about the crisis in Gaza “are harrowing.”
“I am calling for Israel to work with the United States and the international community to immediately ensure sustained humanitarian aid can reach civilians. Allowing innocent children to starve to death is simply unconscionable,” Hochul said.
Hochul highlighted her support for Israel since the October 2023 Hamas onslaught, and added: “Support for the people of Israel also requires us to demand that the Israeli government do what is right.”
Hochul was lieutenant governor under Cuomo and became governor when Cuomo stepped down amid sexual harassment allegations in 2021, which he denied. Hochul is also seeking reelection next year.
Mamdani caused repeated controversies during the primary campaign with his anti-Israel rhetoric, including by accusing Israel of genocide, defending the slogan “Globalize the intifada,” and declining to affirm Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state. He has identified as an anti-Zionist, and is a longtime anti-Israel activist and supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign targeting Israel.
Mamdani defeated his lead challenger Cuomo to win the Democratic party primary last month. Cuomo also registered to run as an independent, meaning he can compete again in November’s general election. Adams is also running as an independent.
As the Democratic party nominee, Mamdani is the heavy favorite to win the solidly blue city.
A recent poll by the New York Solidarity Network, a pro-Israel political group in New York, showed that Mamdani is the leading candidate among Jewish voters, with around 37 percent support, similar to his backing during the primary campaign, when a plurality of Jews favored Cuomo.
The poll last week showed that Mamdani’s opponents — Adams, Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa — split the rest of the electorate, with Adams at 25% support, Cuomo at 21%, and Sliwa with 14%. If all of Mamdani’s opponents keep up their campaigns, it will ease Mamdani’s path to reelection, and activists opposed to Mamdani have pressured his opponents to narrow the field.
Around half of the poll’s respondents said that Mamdani is antisemitic, and 58% said New York will be less safe for Jews if he becomes mayor.
Adams, as mayor, has rolled out a series of pro-Jewish measures in recent months, including adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism and launching a task force aimed at combating anti-Jewish discrimination. On Wednesday, he was set to hold the inaugural meeting of a New York-Israel business council, hosting Israeli businesspeople at City Hall.
New York City saw a surge in antisemitism after the start of the Gaza war, bringing the issue to the forefront, but recent months have seen a decrease in anti-Jewish incidents.
The New York Solidarity Network issued an open letter on Wednesday seeking support for the Jewish community and asked the mayoral candidates to sign the statement. The letter highlighted antisemitism in the city and the “failure of some leaders to speak clearly when Jewish New Yorkers are targeted.”
“Denying the Jewish people’s right to self-determination in our ancestral homeland, excusing attacks on Jews, or aligning with movements that glorify violence erodes trust and safety,” the letter said.
The letter asked signees to speak out against antisemitism, protect Jewish communal life, engage with Jews including Zionists, Orthodox and Israeli-Americans, oppose BDS, and recognize Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.
On Monday, hundreds of protesters led by leftist Jewish groups gathered in Manhattan to call for an end to the Gaza war.