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While Obama did not issue a formal endorsement, the call represents a clear expression of support for the controversial Democratic nominee.
By United with Israel Staff
Former President Barack Obama spoke by phone on Saturday with New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, offering praise for his campaign and suggesting he could serve as a “sounding board” in the future, according to two sources who confirmed the conversation to ABC News.
The 30-minute call, first reported by The New York Times, reflected Obama’s interest in Mamdani’s campaign and the challenges of staffing a new administration and delivering on campaign promises.
“Your campaign has been impressive to watch,” Obama told Mamdani, according to the sources. Mamdani’s spokesperson, Dora Pekec, said the candidate appreciated Obama’s support and their discussion about “bringing a new kind of politics to our city.” The two have spoken once before and reportedly discussed the possibility of meeting after the election.
While Obama did not issue a formal endorsement, the call represents a clear expression of support for the Democratic nominee, who currently leads in the polls ahead of Tuesday’s election.
Mamdani’s candidacy, however, has drawn sharp scrutiny for his long record of anti-Israel statements.
At the July 2023 “Not on Our Dime!” rally in Manhattan’s Herald Square, Mamdani urged New Yorkers to back a state assembly bill aimed at prohibiting organizations from supporting Israeli settlements. “Are we ready to end New York state subsidy of settler crimes? Are we ready to say, ‘Not on our dime?’” he shouted in the video.
Following the October 7 Hamas attacks, Mamdani mourned “the hundreds of people killed across Israel and Palestine” and criticized Prime Minister Netanyahu’s response as a “declaration of war” that would “undoubtedly lead to more violence and suffering,” calling for “ending the occupation and dismantling apartheid.”
Since then, he has repeatedly labeled Israel’s retaliatory actions in Gaza as “genocide” and voiced support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement. “My support for BDS is consistent with the core of my politics, which is nonviolence. And I think that it is a legitimate movement when you are seeking to find compliance with international law,” he said at a UJA-Federation town hall.
Recently, more than 1,000 rabbis nationwide, including prominent New York City rabbis, signed A Rabbinic Call to Action: Defending the Jewish Future, expressing concern over Mamdani’s positions and warning that Jewish Americans “cannot remain silent” on discrimination targeting their community.
Mamdani has sought to temper criticism by stating that Israel has a right to exist, though he often frames the statement with criticism of Israel’s policies toward Palestinians.
At a May town hall co-moderated by the UJA-Federation of New York and the New York Jewish Week, he said Israel should exist “with equal rights for all,” while a later appearance on a local Fox channel clarified his opposition to any state with “a hierarchy of citizenship on the basis of religion or anything else.”
As Election Day approaches, Mamdani remains the frontrunner in New York City’s Democratic primary, despite the controversy surrounding his record on Israel and the renewed scrutiny over his campaign statements.
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