Mamdani Refuses to Back Israel as Jewish State in ABC Interview

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told ABC's Jonathan Karl that he supports Israel only as a state with equal rights and could not support any state that privileges one religion, including Israel. The ABC and NYC.gov transcripts show he was pressed after the Democratic Socialists of America moved away from a two-state solution and after candidates he backed won New York Democratic primaries. Israeli Consul General Ofir Akunis answered that Israel's Declaration of Independence guarantees full equality for all citizens, while UN Ambassador Danny Danon tied the remark to earlier anti-Israel rhetoric. For Jews in New York and Israel, the issue is not equality against Judaism: Israel is the democratic nation-state of the Jewish people and protects equal civil rights.