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'Do you think Israel has a right to exist?': NYC mayoral debate question sparks backlash (www.middleeasteye.net)

submitted 1 day ago by IndustryStandard@lemmy.world to c/progressivepolitics@lemmy.world

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People on social media were enraged after moderators at New York City’s first mayoral primary debate singled out candidate Zohran Mamdani with pointed questions about Israel, widely seen as an attempt to undermine his support for Palestinian rights.

A moderator jumped in to ask whether Mamdani would ever visit Israel, to which he said he is concerned with Jewish New Yorkers' worries and would meet them wherever they are in the city.

This was followed up with a question that many online found off-topic - Does Mamdani think Israel has a right to exist? Mamdani said that he believes Israel “has a right to exist as a state with equal rights”.

This brought upon criticism from both Cuomo and the moderators, who were angered by Mamdani’s choice not to say that it should exist "as a Jewish state".

New Yorkers and observers alike took to social media in frustration, saying that the moderators’ inclusion of the question was to apply pressure on Mamdani’s stance on Israel, which many believe was “Islamophobic” and “racist”.

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[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 35 points 1 day ago

It ridiculous that such a question would come up. Zohran said he’d stay in NYC governing on behalf of constituents while the rest pledged to go to Israel within the first hundred days of their term. How does that help NYC residents? It’s absurd.

https://zohranfornyc.com/

[–] njm1314@lemmy.world 18 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

Seems like for Governor Cuomo the citizens of Israel matter more than the citizens of New York.

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 9 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

You would think 95% of the voters are Zionist fanatics with how much it gets pushed. But the reality is very few New Yorkers care.

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 4 points 23 hours ago

That'd make a good political ad.

[–] CrayonDevourer@lemmy.world 8 points 20 hours ago

Ask them back "Do you think Palestine has a right to exist?"

[–] rumimevlevi@lemmings.world 8 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) (1 children)

The focus on being a jewish state is crazy. One of the most fundamental of the west is laicity

[–] shawn1122@lemm.ee 1 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Does the West have any such values? The entire colonial era was democracy for me, authoritarianism / fascism for thee. It was always self serving with loud marketing of values that were rarely an actual priority if you weren't part of the right compartment / demographic.

[–] rumimevlevi@lemmings.world 1 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

I would argue that during the french revolution is was genuine

[–] shawn1122@lemm.ee 2 points 7 hours ago

Yeah there was a short run there domestically at least. Those values have never really translated to foreign policy in ant meaningful way though.

[–] ElcaineVolta@kbin.melroy.org 5 points 22 hours ago

nope. next question.