By: Carl Schwartzbaum

In a surprise twist to the fast-heating New York City mayoral race, State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani — a self-proclaimed democratic socialist and vocal critic of Israel — secured the endorsement of longtime State Senator John Liu on Monday, a move that has both energized and unsettled the city’s diverse Democratic base.

As The New York Post reported on Monday, Liu, a political veteran and pioneering Asian-American figure in Queens politics, made the endorsement official during a press conference on the steps of City Hall. Liu praised Mamdani’s grassroots campaign and progressive vision, but was unflinching in acknowledging their ideological chasm over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“He and I have a big disagreement, which is the issue of Israel and how the Jewish community needs to be viewed in this social climate,” Liu told reporters, in remarks quoted prominently by The New York Post. “And though I differ from him, we have had honest conversations, and he’s never lost in his integrity in the process.”

Mamdani, who has risen to prominence through his firebrand leftist advocacy and staunch support for Palestinian rights, remained measured in his response when asked about the tensions. Notably, he avoided invoking his well-known support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which has drawn significant condemnation from both Jewish organizations and political moderates. Instead, he attempted to reframe the debate in moral terms, drawing inspiration, he claimed, from the families of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

“My politics is rooted in a politics of nonviolence,” Mamdani said. “I have often looked to the [Israeli] hostage families for guidance in thinking about how to speak and engage with this question of horror over the last 18 months. What they have told us is their phrase: ‘everyone for everyone.’ That we are all linked together.”

As The New York Post has noted in previous reporting, Mamdani’s track record on Israel — including past remarks characterizing Zionism as a form of oppression and likening Israeli policy to apartheid — has been a political lightning rod. His rhetoric has drawn sharp rebukes from Jewish leaders and fellow Democrats, who accuse him of stoking antisemitism under the guise of anti-Zionist activism.

Mamdani has attempted to counter that narrative by proposing the creation of a new “Department of Community Safety” aimed at tackling hate crimes, including antisemitic and Islamophobic violence. “I say this as a Muslim New Yorker,” he said. “We have seen antisemitic incidents increase in this city. We have seen Islamophobic incidents increase. And we need a mayor who can understand the innate humanity in each and every New Yorker and who will protect each New Yorker.”

The New York Post report noted that Liu, who represents northern Queens and has long courted support from Jewish and Asian communities, stopped short of fully defending Mamdani’s Israel positions, saying only that he respects the assemblyman’s transparency and consistency. “Zohran has made many statements in the past. I don’t agree with a lot of them when it comes to Israel and the Jewish people,” Liu said, declining to elaborate further.

Despite Mamdani’s rising momentum among young progressives, his candidacy has provoked alarm among many moderate and religious voters. Just a day before Liu’s endorsement, prominent Sikh community leader Jaspreet Singh publicly threw his support behind former Governor Andrew Cuomo — a centrist rival to Mamdani — during a campaign event in Queens. In pointed remarks reported by The New York Post, Singh blasted Mamdani’s record.

“His hatred, the way he speaks against the other people — like especially Hindus, he speaks against the Jews. He speaks against other people,” Singh said.

Singh’s comments reflect a growing unease across religious and ethnic communities over what critics describe as Mamdani’s “ideological absolutism.” His critics argue that his framing of global conflicts along rigid, binary lines — oppressed vs. oppressor — oversimplifies complex issues and alienates large swaths of New York’s multicultural electorate.

Still, Liu’s endorsement could offer Mamdani a powerful electoral boost, particularly in Queens, where Liu’s name recognition and long history of advocacy for education and small businesses carry significant weight. As The New York Post report observed, Liu remains a fixture of the borough’s political landscape, known for his pragmatic approach to governance and efforts to build cross-cultural coalitions.

Yet the alliance remains politically risky. Mamdani’s divisive rhetoric may undermine Liu’s centrist credentials, while Liu’s embrace of a controversial figure could alienate moderate Democrats and Jewish voters alike.

With the Democratic primary just weeks away on June 24, Mamdani’s campaign appears poised to test the boundaries of New York’s political spectrum — pitting a fiercely anti-establishment narrative against traditional coalition-building. Whether this strategy will yield electoral dividends or backlash remains to be seen.

One thing is clear: the battle for City Hall is no longer just about local governance. It is also a proxy war for the soul of the Democratic Party — and in a city as globally symbolic as New York, that fight is drawing national attention.