Day 817 - Mamdani to become NYC mayor as apple drops in Times Square

19 snips

Dec 31, 2025

Luke Tress, a New York correspondent specializing in local politics and Jewish community issues, discusses the newly elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani's controversial appointees, revealing that over 20% have ties to anti-Zionist groups. He shares insights on Mamdani's security policies, school funding for yeshivas, and his absence at the Israel Day Parade despite granting permits. Additionally, Tress introduces the Movement Against Antizionism, aimed at re-framing anti-Zionism as a distinct form of discrimination against Jews, igniting important debates in the community.

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INSIGHT

ADL Flags Anti‑Zionist Ties Among Appointees

The ADL found at least 20% of Mamdani's 400 transition appointees had ties to anti‑Zionist groups and some to Louis Farrakhan.
That mix raised alarms among pro‑Israel Jews about incoming influence and rhetoric in City Hall.

ANECDOTE

High‑Level Appointee Resigns Over Old Tweets

Catherine Almonte da Costa resigned after old social posts surfaced that used classic antisemitic tropes.
Mamdani accepted her resignation and said he would have not hired her if he'd known about those posts.

INSIGHT

Security Shift: Prevention Over Tactical Response

Mamdani proposes disbanding the Strategic Response Group and creating a Department of Community Safety focused on prevention.
He pledges increased hate‑crime prevention staffing while keeping the NYPD commissioner in place.

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

NY correspondent Luke Tress joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is set to become the city's leader at midnight as the apple falls in Times Square. According to a report from the Anti-Defamation League, at least 20 percent of Mamdani’s 400 administrative appointees are connected to anti-Zionist US activist groups, such as Students for Justice in Palestine. Tress zooms into the case of Catherine Almonte Da Costa, who was initially named as his administration’s director of appointments.

Tress delves into which of Mamdani’s policies are particularly worrisome for NY Jews, including security, schools and the annual Israel parade.

In the second half, we focus on the new Movement Against Antizionism (MAAZ) and how it sees itself as a new way of framing hatred against Jews. Scholar Adam Louis-Klein and MAAZ are part of a network of academics and activists pushing the Jewish community to focus on anti-Zionism as a distinct hatred, with its own ideology and tactics, moving on from the antisemitism paradigm as a framework for understanding discrimination against Jews. We debate whether this is needed even as it grows in traction in the US.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

What are Mamdani’s policy proposals that could directly impact Jewish New Yorkers?

At least 20% of Mamdani appointees have ties to anti-Zionist groups, ADL says

High-level Mamdani appointee resigns after old antisemitic comments surface

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Podwaves and Ari Schlacht.

IMAGE: New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on December 17, 2025 in New York. (ANGELA WEISS / AFP)

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