Uncategorized
Mamdani appoints progressive Israel critic to oversee NYC’s global diplomacy
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has appointed a political party leader who has led campaigns critical of Israel to lead his office’s international affairs unit, whose duties include interacting with the United Nations and handling diplomatic relations.
Ana Maria Archila is cochair of the Working Families Party, which supported Mamdani’s mayoral bid and whose ballot line is sought after by progressive politicians. From its origins in labor unions and local economic issues, the party more recently has weighed in on Israel.
Last year, Working Families Party urged voters to cast an “uncommitted” blank ballot in the Democratic presidential primary in protest of the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza. It also supported Mamdani’s controversial bill in the state legislature to withhold state funds from New York–based nonprofits backing Israeli settlements and IDF activities — legislation critics labeled antisemitic.
Archila gained national attention in 2018 when she confronted then-Sen Jeff Flake during the confirmation battle over Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Archila, 47, ran for lieutenant governor of New York in 2022.
The city job has been described as much like that of a country’s foreign minister. Established in the 1950s to manage relations with the newly formed United Nations, the office has long served as the city’s liaison to the diplomatic community. Since 2001, it also functions as a global platform to promote New York and build partnerships abroad.
Ed Mermelstein, a Ukrainian-born real estate attorney who is Jewish and served as commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of International Affairs for most of the Eric Adams administration, said in an interview that his focus was on engaging the diplomatic corps at multiple levels and attracting direct investment to New York City, including with Israel. Mermelstein stepped down last year and was succeeded by Aissata M.B. Camara, an African-born and Muslim woman.
Archila’s positions
Archila’s appointment — made alongside the announcement of a new head of the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Affairs, Faiza Ali — suggests that Mamdani, a democratic socialist elected on an affordability platform, will orient the international office to focus on empowering immigrant communities. Mamdani recently said he would revamp the city’s Economic Development Corporation, a powerful city agency, to focus more directly on affordability and workers’ rights.
In announcing the appointment, Mamdani praised Archila’s leadership at the Working Families Party, saying she helped build a movement centered on pushing government to prioritize the needs of working New Yorkers. He said she brings what he described as “moral clarity and a deep commitment to the people who keep the city running,” and would carry that approach into strengthening New York’s global ties.
In a 2022 interview with the Forward, Archila said that while New York is one of the richest states in the country, it is “sadly one of the most unequal because of decisions by politicians who prioritize the demands of corporations and the richest who tell the rest of us to just wait for better schools and affordable housing.”
During the 2024 presidential election, Archila personally pushed the “Leave it Blank” Democratic primary protest against Biden — inspired by the “Uncommitted” movement — for his support of Israel during the Gaza war.
In 2023, the WFP, under her leadership, endorsed then-Assemblymember Mamdani’s controversial bill titled Not on our dime!: Ending New York funding of Israeli settler violence act. Some of his Democratic colleagues called it “purely antisemitic” because it targeted Jewish organizations and nonprofits assisting families of terror victims. The state legislation, later backed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, would have also targeted nonprofits “aiding and abetting” the resettling of Jewish communities in the Gaza Strip or providing “unauthorized” support for units of the Israeli army that have been accused of human rights violations. It never came up for a vote. Several Jewish elected officials severed their ties with the party due to its position.
The future of NYC investments in Israel
Mermelstein said he “very much anticipated that things are going to move in this direction” as Mamdani, a strident critic of Israel and supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, has reiterated his position that the city should divest from Israel Bonds, a half-century practice of investing millions in Israeli government debt securities, as well as reconsider other economic partnerships with the country.
“The mayor has been pretty clear about his intentions with respect to Israel,” he said. “So I anticipate that there will be no engagements whatsoever with Israel or any countries that support Israel.” Last year, Adams created the NYC-Israel Economic Council aimed at strengthening the U.S.-Israel economic ties. Mamdani said he intends to dissolve that body. Mermelstein also coordinated Adams’ first trip to Israel in 2022. Mamdani said he will not travel to Israel as mayor.
Mermelstein recently founded Global Partners, a private company that he said would advance economic development and international engagement to support the city government and New York City’s economy. “Someone has to do it,” he said. “We are happy to carry the weight of whatever the mayor’s office is not interested in doing. New York is a city that’s gonna outlast any mayor or president.”
The post Mamdani appoints progressive Israel critic to oversee NYC’s global diplomacy appeared first on The Forward.
Uncategorized
U.S. Senate candidate from Michigan calls Israeli government ‘evil’ like Hamas
Abdul El-Sayed, a U.S. Senate candidate from Michigan, said in an interview aired Sunday that the Israeli government is as “evil” as Hamas, sharpening his criticism of Israel in the closely-watched Democratic primary.
“Killing tens of thousands of people makes you pretty damn evil,” El-Sayed told CNN congressional reporter Manu Raja on the network’s Inside Politics program. “It’s not how evil is this one versus that one — Hamas: Evil, Israeli government: Evil. We can say both.”
El-Sayed, 41, is a physician and the son of Egyptian immigrants. He is seeking to channel the energy of the 2024 Uncommitted movement, which protested the Biden administration’s support for Israel in the war against Hamas in Gaza. He is also hoping to build on the surprise success of the New York City mayoral campaign of Zohran Mamdani in taking on the Democratic establishment.
He is locked in a dead heat with state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and Rep. Haley Stevens. The primary is set for Aug. 4.
Earlier this month, El-Sayed faced backlash for appearing alongside streamer Hasan Piker, who has been accused of antisemitic rhetoric — including saying that Hamas “is a thousand times better” than Israel. McMorrow, who is married to a Jewish man, and Stevens, who is closely aligned with AIPAC, have both criticized El-Sayed.
In the CNN interview, El-Sayed defended his decision to campaign with Piker, framing it as an effort to reach voters who feel alienated from traditional politics. “My understanding of America is, it’s a place where we have freedom of speech,” he said.
#MISen Abdul El-Sayed on CNN Inside Politics: @mkraju: You said Israeli government is evil. Do you think they’re just as evil as Hamas?
El-Sayed: “Yes, killing tens of thousands of people makes you pretty damn evil. It’s not about how evil one is versus the other. Hamas —… pic.twitter.com/4GfJ5oCtqR
— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) April 19, 2026
The Michigan Senate race is shaping up as one of the starkest tests of the Democratic coalition and how the party navigates policy towards Israel in Congress amid the wars in Gaza and Iran. The state is home to the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the United States.
Last week, 40 Senate Democrats voted to block $295 million for the transfer of bulldozers, used by the Israeli military to demolish homes in the West Bank and Gaza; 36 of them also supported a measure to block the sale of 1,000-pound bombs to the Jewish state. It shattered a previous high of 27 Democrats who backed a similar pair of resolutions of disapproval to block some weapons transfers last year.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, who is Jewish, was among those who voted for the measures. In remarks as they announced their votes, Democrats highlighted their opposition to the Israeli government’s policies in the occupied West Bank, the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the war with Iran.
The post U.S. Senate candidate from Michigan calls Israeli government ‘evil’ like Hamas appeared first on The Forward.
Uncategorized
NYC Mayor Mamdani Unveils Major Tax Hike on Unoccupied Luxury Real Estate
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani holds a press conference at the New York City Office of Emergency Management, as a major winter storm spreads across a large swath of the United States, in Brooklyn, New York City, US, Jan. 25, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Bing Guan
i24 News – NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani has officially introduced a controversial new tax targeting secondary residences valued at over $5 million.
The measure, designed to tap into the city’s vast concentration of unoccupied luxury wealth, is projected to generate roughly $500 million annually for the municipal budget.
“This tax is specifically aimed at the ultra-rich,” Mamdani stated, highlighting high-profile examples such as Ken Griffin’s $238 million Midtown penthouse and Alexander Varshavsky’s $20.5 million Columbus Circle residence.
While the city has yet to finalize specific evaluation criteria or the methods for distinguishing primary from secondary homes, the proposal has already become a flashpoint for economic debate.
The move has drawn sharp condemnation from billionaire investor Bill Ackman, who argued that the policy is fundamentally flawed.
Ackman contended that owners of luxury secondary residences contribute significant capital to the local economy without utilizing costly municipal services. He warned that the tax would likely trigger a corporate and high-net-worth exodus to low-tax jurisdictions like Miami, ultimately harming the city’s tax base.
President Donald Trump also entered the fray, denouncing the policy as “totally misguided” and claiming it is “destroying New York.” Trump, whose own extensive real estate holdings in the city could be impacted, argued that such taxation serves only to drive away the international investors who fuel New York’s development.
Implementation remains a significant question mark, as the tax could potentially affect nearly 13,000 property owners, including major figures like Jeff Bezos. Financial analysts point out that many of the city’s most expensive apartments are held through complex offshore structures and shell companies, making the identification and appraisal of these properties an immense administrative challenge for the city.
As the debate intensifies, the Mamdani administration faces a difficult path ahead in balancing its “tax the rich” mandate with the practical realities of New York’s competitive global real estate market.
Uncategorized
Iran Rebuffs Trump Announcement of New Peace Talks, State News Agency Reports
Iran rejected new peace talks with the United States, its state news agency reported on Sunday, hours after US President Donald Trump said he was sending envoys for talks in Pakistan and would launch new strikes on Iran unless it accepts his terms.
Trump posted on Truth Social that his envoys would arrive in Pakistan on Monday evening for negotiations, a timetable that would leave only a day for talks to make progress before a two-week ceasefire ends.
“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran,” he wrote. “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!”
Iran’s official IRNA news agency cited no specific source in its report that Iran had rejected the talks.
“Iran stated that its absence from the second round of talks stems from what it called Washington’s excessive demands, unrealistic expectations, constant shifts in stance, repeated contradictions, and the ongoing naval blockade, which it considers a breach of the ceasefire,” IRNA wrote.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Iran’s rejection of the talks.
Earlier, a White House official said the US delegation would be headed by Vice President JD Vance, who led the war’s first peace talks a week ago, and also include Trump’s envoy Steven Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner. Trump had initially told ABC News and MS Now that Vance would not go.