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Cuomo reignites ‘globalize the intifada’ criticism of Mamdani ahead of Oct. 7 anniversary
This piece first ran as part of The Countdown, our daily newsletter rounding up all the developments in the New York City mayor’s race. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. There are 29 days to the election.
Cuomo renews his approach
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Andrew Cuomo has renewed his reproach of Zohran Mamdani over the phrase “globalize the intifada” as New York City prepares for the Oct. 7 anniversary.
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Cuomo demanded yesterday that Mamdani condemn the pro-Palestinian protest slogan ahead of the second anniversary of the Hamas attacks on Israel. Mamdani declined to condemn the phrase during the primary, though he has since said he does not personally use the language and would “discourage” it because of the interpretation that it could incite violence against Jews.
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Cuomo also noted a protest scheduled for Oct. 7 by the pro-Palestinian group Behind Enemy Lines, which plans to rally and “Escalate for Gaza” around sites in New York City including Sen. Chuck Schumer’s house, Rep. Ritchie Torres’ office and the Anti-Defamation League.
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Cuomo did not suggest any formal link between the group and Mamdani. But he said his rival “continues to play word games instead of showing moral clarity” and called on him to “reject any movement that glorifies violence or targets Jewish people.”
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Mamdani hasn’t yet responded to Cuomo’s attack, but he continues to stand by his pro-Palestinian advocacy and harsh criticism of Israel. He shared a photo from his meeting with Palestinian New Yorkers in Astoria over the weekend.
Mamdani’s Jewish outreach
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Mamdani has met with Hasidic leaders in recent weeks, including two rabbis from Williamsburg’s ultra-Orthodox Satmar community, according to CNN.
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The frontrunner has ties to left-wing Jewish groups in the city, and he joined city comptroller Brad Lander and Rep. Jerry Nadler at progressive synagogues for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. But he’s also hoping to convince less friendly Jewish audiences.
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He has a ways to go with many synagogues and mainstream Jewish organizations, as some have hosted him in private but declined to publicize their meetings.
- The meetings could have an impact behind winning support for Mamdani’s campaign. Jewish groups may want to start building relationships with the politician polls show is most likely to become the city’s next mayor.
Following the money
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Cuomo’s campaign raked in close to $1 million over recent weeks, including nearly $400,000 in the hours after Mayor Eric Adams dropped out of the race, according to his latest campaign filing.
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He’s still far behind Mamdani, who said he hit the city’s $8 million fundraising cap last month.
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Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa had his strongest fundraising stretch of the race, reporting more than $420,000 in the period of Aug. 19 to Sept. 29. A spokesperson for Sliwa said he hoped to reach $8 million by the end of October.
Winning without a majority?
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If the polls are right, Mamdani is set to win the race with about 45% of the vote. That would make him the first New York City mayor in recent history to be elected without majority support, according to Politico.
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Winning less than a majority could pose problems for him in City Hall, as the democratic socialist and Israel critic may lack a mandate to pull off his progressive vision against the opposition of the city’s financial powerbrokers and political moderates.
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Mamdani will face pressure from the Democratic Socialists of America if he is elected. A leader of the party’s New York City chapter said at an event last week, “Our endorsed candidates are expected to follow the will of the membership,” according to the New York Post.
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The post Cuomo reignites ‘globalize the intifada’ criticism of Mamdani ahead of Oct. 7 anniversary appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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American Airlines to Resume Flights to Israel Amid Gaza Ceasefire
American Airlines planes sit on the tarmac at LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York City, U.S., July 30, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Kylie Cooper.
American Airlines said on Sunday it would resume flights to Israel in March, after the US carrier halted the New York JFK to Tel Aviv route following Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack that triggered the two-year war in Gaza.
American said it would re-launch its flights from JFK on March 28.
US rivals Delta and United have already resumed flights to Israel.
Many foreign carriers halted flights to Tel Aviv after October 7 and stayed away for long stretches during the past two years due to intermittent missile fire from Iran and Yemen.
That largely left flag-carrier El Al Israel Airlines, and smaller Israeli airlines Arkia and Israir, operating international routes, but with demand far higher than supply, airfares soared.
In the wake of a US-brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, many foreign airlines have restarted flights to Tel Aviv. British Airways, SAS, Iberia and Swiss are slated to resume flights this week.
When American resumes flights, it will become the fifth carrier to fly nonstop to Israel from the United States, along with El Al, Arkia, Delta and United.
In addition to daily flights from Newark, United later is expected to also add flights to Tel Aviv from Washington (November 2) and Chicago (November 1).
Passenger traffic at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv was up 25% over the first nine months of 2025 to 13.6 million, according to the Israel Airports Authority. El Al’s market share dropped to 32.5% from 44% a year earlier.
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Israel Allows Red Cross, Egyptian Teams into Gaza as Search for Hostage Bodies Widens
Palestinians gather around a Red Cross vehicle transporting hostages as part of a ceasefire and hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in the southern Gaza Strip, October 13. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Red Cross and Egyptian teams have been permitted to search for the bodies of deceased hostages beyond the “yellow line” demarcating the Israeli military’s pullback in the Gaza Strip, an Israeli government spokesperson said on Sunday.
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Abbas Names Hussein al-Sheikh as Temporary Successor for PA Presidency
Hussein Al-Sheikh, former Secretary General of the Executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), speaks during an interview with Reuters, in Ramallah in the West Bank December 16, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad
i24 News – Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) issued a statement on Sunday outlining the succession process should the chairman’s position become vacant.
According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, Deputy Chairman Hussein al-Sheikh will temporarily assume leadership of the PA in the absence of the Palestinian Legislative Council.
The decree stipulates that al-Sheikh’s interim term would last up to 90 days, during which direct elections must be held to select a new chairman, in accordance with Palestinian election law.
If elections cannot be conducted within this period due to exceptional circumstances, the Palestinian Central Council may authorize a one-time extension.
Hussein al-Sheikh, born in 1960 in Ramallah, has a long history in Palestinian politics. As a teenager, he was sentenced to prison in Israel for terrorist activity and was incarcerated from age 18 until 1989. In the past year, he was appointed Deputy Chairman and designated successor by Abu Mazen after the Palestinian Central Council approved the creation of the position.
The announcement is seen as a move to formalize the line of succession and ensure stability within the PA amid ongoing political uncertainty and the absence of a functioning Legislative Council. Analysts say the decree clarifies leadership procedures in case of incapacity or vacancy, reflecting Abu Mazen’s efforts to maintain continuity and prevent a leadership vacuum in the Palestinian territories.
