Mamdani appoints progressive Israel critic to oversee NYC’s global diplomacy

New York Working Families Party co-chair Ana Maria Archila (R) at a Mamdani rally on May 04, 2025. Photo by Madison Swart/Getty

By Jacob Kornbluh February 17, 2026

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.

Audrey Sasson, executive director of the progressive Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, said she believes the mayor’s appointment reflects a broader vision to reshape the office around a commitment to human dignity and the celebration of the city’s diverse communities. The group endorsed Mamdani in the mayoral election as well as Archila’s 2022 campaign.

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.”