NYC voters say Mamdani best addressed the Israel-Palestinian conflict, poll shows
Two-thirds of young voters in New York favor Mamdani’s stance on Israel
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Sept. 03. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images
By Jacob Kornbluh September 9, 2025
A plurality of New York City voters, including a solid majority of the young voters who powered Zohran Mamdani’s Democratic primary win, say the strident Israel critic offered the best approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during the campaign for mayor, a new poll finds.
The New York Times/Siena College survey of 1,284 registered voters, conducted Sept. 2 through Sept. 18, found that 39% of all respondents and 66% of those aged 18-29 said Mamdani “best addressed” the conflict in the Middle East.
Only 17% said the same about former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who made his support for Israel a focal point in outreach to Jewish voters during the primary. The poll, conducted via phone and text, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist who co-founded the Students for Justice in Palestine chapter at Bowdoin College, which he attended from 2010 to 2014, has been pronounced in his pro-Palestinian policies throughout the campaign.
Mamdani has said that Israel has a right to exist, but declined to recognize it specifically as a Jewish state and said he would refuse to visit the country as mayor. During the campaign, Mamdani came under fire for declining to co-sponsor a resolution in the state assembly recognizing Israel’s independence because he disagreed with language stating that the country “continues to strive for peace.”
A longtime supporter of the boycott Israel movement, Mamdani pledged to govern based on his commitment to international law and human rights. That would include, he said, ending the city’s half-century practice of investing millions in Israeli government debt securities and dissolving a council Mayor Eric Adams created in May aimed at strengthening the U.S.-Israel economic ties.
He also promised to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he comes to New York in compliance with an International Criminal Court warrant. A mayor would not have the authority to carry out such an arrest, which is the prerogative of the federal government.
Mamdani condemned the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas as a “horrific war crime” and described the celebration of the killing of civilians by some of the attendees at the NYC-DSA rally as “not befitting of a movement supporting universal human rights.” He has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. He supports restricting weapons to Israel.
A post-primary poll by a progressive research group suggested Mamdani’s criticism of Israel resonated with many Democratic voters, energizing first-time and younger supporters.
In Tuesday’s poll, more than 40% of voters in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens said Mamdani effectively communicated his stance on the Middle East. Cuomo’s largest share of respondents who felt he best addressed the conflict were older voters and Manhattan residents.
Jewish voters made up 10% of the poll sample.
The poll also showed Mamdani as a heavy favorite to win in November in a multiperson race that includes Cuomo, Mayor Eric Adams and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa. Cuomo would have a one-point lead over Mamdani — 46% to 45% — if Sliwa and Adams drop out.
A group of billionaire realtors, a number of them Jewish, convened an emergency meeting Tuesday morning to discuss ways to help defeat Mamdani.
Sympathy with Israel
The Times poll also asked New York City voters about their views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It found that only 26% sympathize more with Israel, while 44% side with the Palestinians. Only 13% of younger voters sympathize with Israel.
Among Mamdani supporters, 74% sympathize with the Palestinians and 5% with Israel. More Cuomo supporters side with Israel, with 18% saying they support both sides equally, while a majority of voters backing Adams and Sliwa sympathize with Israel.
A majority of Adams and Sliwa supporters also believe criticism of Israel is antisemitic. Cuomo voters are more divided — 43% say criticism of Israeli policy is justified, while 38% view it as antisemitic.
Correction: This article originally mischaracterized how many voters said Zohran Mamdani best addressed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during the New York City mayoral campaign.
This post has been updated to include additional polling data.
