Zohran Mamdani, Palestine & the Newfound Consciousness
By Saswat Pattanayak
New York, November 13, 2025
New Yorkers celebrate Mamdani's victory in Astoria, Queens
(Photo: Saswat Pattanayak)
While various social identities and political formations compete to claim Zohran Mamdani’s electoral win as theirs and are basking in celebratory moods, the ones arguably most responsible for his rise - the Palestinians - amidst the excitement defining this unprecedented shift in American political landscape - have been almost by design relegated to background, if not to a tragic oblivion.
Even as it’s necessary to cherish this victory, it is even more important to remember that Mamdani was just another mayoral candidate of the Democratic Party - berated by his opponents for being the one with least political experience - until he managed to distinguish himself to be the only anti-genocide, anti-Zionist candidate.
At the peak of a live-streamed season of nonstop massacres - one that began under the auspices of Democratic Party itself, Mamdani won support of New Yorkers because he stood uniquely principled in his opposition to the genocide. While every candidate surrendered to zionist agendas and openly had to announce their desires to visit Israel, it was Mamdani alone who refused to do that. He asserted his preference to serve New Yorkers (including the Jewish people of the city) instead.
Many media pundits were taken aback by such a position. They appeared shocked even. Some quite happy that by openly dissing America’s only (warmongering) ally, he had shut down any prospect for his potential win. They labeled him antisemite and his opponents recalled 9/11 as a word association for him.
It’s not like Mamdani wasn’t smart enough to expect such shock and uproar. He was smarter yet to know that most New Yorkers were not represented by the corporate media commentators. In fact, quite the opposite. Since October 7, New York City had witnessed hundreds of protest marches, rallies, sit-ins, teach-ins, walkouts, boycotts, encampments, and Action days that had condemned not just the political parties, but also the media establishments. Hundreds of thousands of ordinary working class New Yorkers had taken to the streets nonstop - while prominent Palestinian activists were helping raise consciousness by imparting critical education about history of Palestine. Mamdani was aware of this pulse of NYC, because he had joined several of those protests himself.
Protest marches and rallies were not all peaceful - hundreds of people were being brutally assaulted by the cops, dozens of protesters were arrested, numerous people were fired from their jobs, students were deprived of their degrees - some even were kidnapped and placed for deportation. Surely a handful of ugly zionists harassed women activists, some powerful website owners went on their doxxing rampage, one pathetic dude even attacked halal food vendors. But these miscreants were the exceptions. The majority of New Yorkers remained in solidarity with the Palestinians. They joined the call for every protest, distributed food and water to those marching, posted stickers and flyers on the doors of their small businesses, and of course chatted nonstop about the genocide in person - across streets and CUNY campuses alike.
Mamdani knew of this. He knew of it when he witnessed the first National March for Palestine that took place in Washington DC on November 4, 2023 - within weeks of October 7. Over half a million Americans came from all over the country to call out Biden and to demand an end to funding of the genocide. That event gained so much traction that towards the end of that month, a hunger strike was organized right outside the White House to condemn Joe Biden. That was a very small gathering compared to the National March and Cynthia Nixon was the most well known figure in this group who made to the news headlines, but this event was the one where Mamdani as a representative from Astoria (Queens) joined and made a public statement.
Mamdani said: “We are taking this action of hunger striking to showcase the actions of President Biden. It’s President Biden’s actions that are leading to the bombing of Palestinians, the starving of Palestinians. So we are starving ourselves to make visible what is so often erased, which is the Palestinian experience.”
Mamdani’s solidarity with the Palestinians was not for a show or political opportunism. Him being a Democrat did not deter him in holding his party accountable. After all, he had been steadfast in his support for the cause for many years, ever since his high school days. However, after October 7, if he aspired for a higher political office, to his credit, he did read the room correctly - he observed what resonated with the New Yorkers. Through their enthusiastic and courageous mass participation in civil disobedience movements - in the face of doxxing and police assaults - New Yorkers of all hues had expressed their collective disdain towards the apartheid entity of Israel and anyone aspiring for public office would have been politically illiterate to miss that picture. Mamdani not only did not miss the moment; he seized it. And he was not the only one - political leaders from across the Left - which included Jill Stein, Claudia De la Cruz, Cornel West - would address another massive rally in Washington DC within weeks of the people’s national march.
In May of 2024 - within six months of DC events, Mamdani helped draft a bill that was going to target New York nonprofits which provide financial support to Israel’s military or settlements. Such a bill would allow one to sue such nonprofits for at least $1 million. He organized bus trips to Albany to popularize “Not On Our Dime!” Act.
Mamdani said, “There is a newfound consciousness in our country with regards to the urgency of Palestinian human rights, and we have to propose and advocate for legislation that reflects public sentiment.”
This “newfound consciousness” which would make Mamdani consider running for office later that year, was being actively and relentlessly given shape by many Palestinian activists all across New York City. Whether Lamis Deek of Palestinian Right of Return Coalition on October 14, 2023 declaring that she would never condemn any Palestinian resistance just the way she would never condemn Warsaw Ghetto resistance, or it was being done by Nerdeen Kiswani of Within Our Lifetime who went on organizing massive rallies every single week following October 7 to educate New Yorkers about the history and necessity of Palestinian resistance - to categorically deny that anything had started on that day.
While the entire world was being targeted by corporate media spins and official lies from Biden White House press corp, New Yorkers were turning out in record numbers to listen to Kiswani. In one massive rally that she organized right on the Christmas Day of 2023 and in Rockefeller Center itself which is home to the biggest Holiday tree, tens of thousands of New Yorkers came together to witness an artistic piece of Mother Mary holding bodybag of Baby Jesus. Kiswani reminded New Yorkers that if they were truly Christians or of any religious or non-religious background who cared about humanity - they should know that as the birthplace of Jesus was getting bombed, Baby Jesus would have been killed by Israeli army if he were alive today.
Through emotional pleas and factual narratives (for example, the complicity of museums and universities in legitimizing the apartheid entity), with help of the Palestinian activists - from WOL to Palestinian Youth Movement, to Palestinian Assembly for Liberation (PAL) Awda, to Palestinian Feminist Collective to Healthcare Workers for Palestine, to numerous chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) - CUNY 4 Palestine, Columbia 4 Palestine to many allies including Jewish Voice for Peace, Answer Coalition, Code Pink, Green Party, Party for Socialism and Liberation, People’s Forum - New York City was being steadily transformed with what Mamdani had correctly recognized as its ”newfound consciousness”.
Ironically, it was the Democratic Party - in all its shades, including the Democratic Socialists and supposedly left leadership such as that of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - that were conspicuously absent from all the protests and people’s movements. After all, the protests were targeting not just Biden but also the Democratic Party itself as the chief culprit behind the genocide. One of the more popular chants of the protests was “Genocide Joe - Has Got To Go!” Another one was even more melodious accompanied by a jazz band playing to words that erupted out loud: “Remember Hiroshima! Remember Vietnam! Democratic Party, we know what side you’re on!” And it’s not like the protesters ever endorsed Republicans either, as they decried the duopoly with “Democrat or Republican, Genocide is Bipartisan!”
Come general elections, Democrats had to face the blues due to their orchestration of, funding for, and complicity in the most live-streamed genocide that shook the world. Kamala Harris has since admitted as much. Even a much maligned and numerously accused and convicted politician like Donald Trump was decisively re-elected. While the mainstream media which remains largely liberal was left puzzled, working class people had enormous clarity when it came to Gaza. Endlessly witnessing dead and amputated babies was the red line for any person of decency. Genocide’s unpopularity is so widespread that despite having someone like Trump as their opponent, Democrats managed to massively lose in the national elections.
Mamdani went on to find out why. In November of 2024, he would visit Hillside Avenue in Queens and Fordham Road in the Bronx of New York City to interview many voters who are Democrats and have in the past voted against Trump. But this time, they were having none of it. They vocalized their unconditional support for Palestine and therefore rendered an unapologetic rejection of the Democrats. Mamdani who has for all his adult life been a supporter of Palestinian rights decided to pay heed to those New Yorkers who were so fed up with genocide that they were ready to choose even their worst class enemy (Trump).
Why would a working class person - a literal victim of capitalism - decide to vote against their own class interests? Because no matter what, the truth is, after all the consciousness-raising they were privileged with, nothing to New Yorkers was any longer more unconscionable than being indifferent to the massacres of little children that were being conducted with their own tax money. Everyone Mamdani interviewed - almost all of then Black and brown voters - said they liked the Democrats but they won’t stand for what was happening in Gaza. That is why Kamala Harris - who enabled “Genocide Joe” - had to go.
Mamdani understood the assignment when it came to his own Mayoral aspiration - he was called antisemite by many zionists but he had the support of not just working class folks, but even more importantly that of the anti-zionist Jews. In fact, as the results would attest later on, it was Brooklyn - the home to most Jews in the world outside of Israel - that would be voting him with the widest margin against Cuomo, even more than other boroughs of New York City. Mamdani had attained what would have been impossible otherwise - because every pro-Palestine movement had the support from anti-Zionist Jews and he had thereby received support from decent human beings across religions.
Mainstream media ignores this nuance, but it was Eric Adams who literally was running on a platform that called itself “Safe and Affordable”. Such phrasings were attractive, but to New Yorkers, Adams was a zionist. So was Cuomo. Like mentioned before, when the time for Mayoral debates arrived, every single candidate there professed their love for Israel. Mamdani stood out because he refused to endorse such a stance.
Politicians often bullshit their way through making tall claims and promises. To offer things for free and for cheap are their populist hallmarks. At times they do fulfill some of those, but most times they don’t and it is considered part of normal political game. It doesn’t take any courage on part of a politician to tell people that they will have a better standard of life once they elect them. In fact, that is the most routine and most mundane political ploy ever because it is so commonplace all over the world. What is exceptional however, is to make a principled stand against Israel in this time and age - this is where one risks of losing their entire political career. Anti-Israel stand in public life has proven to be so perniciously unacceptable that even top Ivy League universities have had to fire their presidents since they had allegedly tolerated students who protested against Israel. Entire First Amendment of the USA continues to be under assessment because speaking out against Israel costs positions and privileges in this country.
Hence, when the war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu was being given standing ovations in the Capitol Hill, Mamdani took a bold stance - the only stance which made him stand apart from all other candidates that were in the race during the Democratic Primaries. And that stand was enthusiastically embraced by the New Yorkers.
At a time when even the left leaders within the Democrats, such as Bernie Sanders and AOC were hesitating to call for ceasefire - and AOC was even supporting more funding for Israel - it was Mamdani who listened to New Yorkers demanding for divestment. If the young students, the Gen Z, the new immigrants under the age of 40 are the ones who overwhelmingly voted for Mamdani, it was not because they were all living in rent-stabilized apartments craving for a temporary annual increase freeze (something which De Blasio had already done before anyway), it was not because they were all parents to children that needed free healthcare, it was not because they were all looking for free bus rides, it was not because they were hoping for five new grocery stores run by the city to solve all food crisis. It is not to say that all these did not factor in when it came to deciding for Mamdani, but to say that the only thing which was common to the voters was their rejection of “Israel First” agenda that was/is sweeping the country. Much to the chagrin of the pundits, the young people due to their anti-genocidal stance have voted with their conscience, not just for their middle class convenience. In other words, it was not so much a vote for Mamdani as it was their vote against what they decried as the ”United States of Israel”.
This is something that is being conveniently overlooked by the mainstream media - predictably so because they have been the preferred medium for zionist propaganda. In all their analysis, they deliberately omit the role Palestine protests played in elevating Mamdani to the rank he is enjoying today. Whether New York Post or New York Times, the corporate media have consistently lied to American public and had been promoting Cuomo. Much to their dismay and surprise, Cuomo was booted out by young voters - not once, but twice this year. The same voters who constantly sang out loud another popular chant that was heard all across New York City: “Every time media lies, a neighborhood in Gaza dies.”
The same media is lying yet again about the reasons behind Mamdani’s rise. It will not be an exaggeration to say that no one who supports Israel’s war crimes has voted for Mamdani. That is literally the only point of distinction about Mamdani’s victory. It is not due to the Hindus that Mamdani won despite the fact that his mother Mira Nair is a savarna Hindu. It is not due to Muslims that Mamdani won despite his Muslim father Mahmood Mamdani having raised him as one. Some in India have wondered if it’s his Shia identity that landed him the votes - which is untrue because Muslims of New York are not as divided on that front like they might be elsewhere. In fact, his victory has nothing to do with him being of Indian descent - he has spent more time in Uganda; yet it is not his African upbringing either that mattered to his victory as some others have wondered. After all, in his speeches where he has invoked his identity, its his South Asian roots he has spoken about more than his African ones.
Mamdani being celebrated at the NYC Dyke March (Photo by Saswat Pattanayak)
The inconvenient truth is, it is his anti-Zionism that has brought him closer to the anti-Zionists - of all backgrounds - whether Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, or atheists; straight or queer; poor, working class or wealthy; white, Black or brown; men or women; able-bodied or disabled. In fact, if transphobia could have made some communities distance themselves from him, it is his love for the Palestinian aspirations that has ensured the support of even those that disagree with him when it comes to Queer rights. Regardless of gender, sexuality, national origin, race, ethnicity, language, religion, and class - Mamdani has been embraced by those who share only one thing in common with each other - their common contempt towards Israel’s occupation of Palestine and towards American funding of the consequential genocide.
Whereas almost everyone around the world wants to have a slice of this victory pie - and which is possibly a good thing as this shift may have a ripple effect for the better in days ahead - they must not forget that their celebrations cannot come at the expense of normalization of an active and ongoing genocide in Gaza. New Yorkers who voted for Mamdani did not support genocide and those who want to claim this victory as theirs must do their very basic minimum to remember that. If anyone reduces Mamdani’s victory as a victory for the Democrats or of the liberals or of any specific religion or caste or ethnicity etc, they will be doing so with gross inaccuracies in their understanding. And if folks who have been quiet all this time about the genocide still want to celebrate Mamdani’s victory, they will do well to revisit their illusions, and start speaking up now to demand for Palestinian freedom, as a way to pay their tribute to this win.
When the richest man of the planet (Musk) and the most powerful politician in modern history (Trump) were asking for people to not vote Mamdani, they were supporting the most famous Democrat (Cuomo) of New York. And that is alright because Mamdani did not win because of the Democratic Party, but despite it - because his victory was brought about by the children of Palestine, not by the lobbyists (AIPAC) of the baby killers. However, Mamdani’s victory is not a mission accomplished. It is one of the formative and encouraging phases to gauge what awaits in the ongoing struggle to Free Palestine. It is a wake-up call to the world to remember that New Yorkers have proved beyond a doubt that fighting for Palestine is morally and politically rewarding. As Mamdani begins his own journey of political success, let this remain a lesson for him too - to always remember and to act accordingly. It is not a moment about electoral victory or loss of him as a celebrity or politician - it is a moment to celebrate the will of an actively anti-genocide people that has prevailed in New York City. And it is this spirit to globalize the revolution (Intifada) that needs to be embraced, while the electoral winners must continue to be held accountable, so they stay true to their words.
Congratulations, Mayor Mamdani! Thank you, New York! It’s Free Palestine, until Palestine is Free!
