New York City’s Jewish Democratic leadership is coalescing around Attorney General Letitia James to shield her from charges of complacency regarding antisemitism, while simultaneously signaling a desire for a regime change in Israel. In a coordinated effort reported by the New York Jewish Week, top city and state officials have endorsed James as she faces a challenge from Republican Saritha Komatireddy, who has centered her campaign on the claim that James has been too soft on antisemitism.
This political alignment creates a complex friction point: while these leaders are defending James’s record on hate crimes at home, they are openly rooting for the defeat of Benjamin Netanyahu abroad. For some Jewish Democrats in New York, this represents a balancing act—combating antisemitism while expressing criticism of the current Israeli administration’s conduct in Gaza.
Jewish Democrats rally behind Letitia James
The joint support comes from a heavy-hitting roster of New York politics, including Council Speaker Julie Menin, Representative Jerry Nadler, and Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal. By commending her record of combating antisemitism, these leaders are attempting to neutralize the central pillar of Saritha Komatireddy’s campaign.
Komatireddy has made the Attorney General’s perceived inaction a focal point of her bid for office.
The push for a ‘shellacked’ Netanyahu
The conversation shifted rapidly from New York City hall to the Knesset during a recent press conference. Following their endorsement of James, several of these same Jewish Democrats weighed in on the Israeli elections, expressing a clear preference for the removal of Benjamin Netanyahu.
Representative Jerry Nadler didn’t mince words when speaking to the Forward, stating, My hope is that Bibi gets shellacked.
Nadler explicitly voiced his support for Gadi Eisenkot, noting his hope that Eisenkot wins by a significant margin and successfully forms a coalition that includes the country’s Arab parties.
Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal echoed this sentiment, framing a Netanyahu victory not as a political win, but as an endorsement of the status quo, which I think most Americans agree is unacceptable.
🚨Rep. Jerry Nadler, co-chair of the Congressional Jewish Caucus, tells me he’s “cautiously optimistic” about the Israeli election outcome: “My hope is that Bibi gets shellacked.” Nadler said he wants to see Gadi Eisenkot win with a significant margin and form a coalition… pic.twitter.com/LtwWo3ZKMN
Even Kathy Hochul entered the fray. In an interview with Politico, Hochul suggested that the international standing of Israel has been damaged by the government’s overreach
in Gaza. She noted that the task of defending Israel on the world stage would become a lot easier
if Netanyahu were to lose power.
Fran Lebowitz warns antisemitism becomes acceptable
“Prominent people do it, hiding behind being anti-Zionist, which some people are. I always say, you can be anti-Zionist and not antisemitic, but you can also be both.”
— Fran Lebowitz
Differing views on Jewish identity create tension
The intersection of these three stories—the endorsement of James, the desire for Netanyahu’s exit, and Lebowitz’s warnings—reveals a community in a state of high tension.
By supporting Letitia James and opposing Netanyahu, some are suggesting that one can be protective of Jewish people while remaining critical of the Jewish state’s leadership.
As the election cycles in New York and Israel unfold, the results may reflect whether these differing views on Jewish identity and leadership can coexist.
The tension remains unresolved, mirrored in the distance between a politician’s press conference and the observations of a curmudgeonly writer who sees a society sliding toward acceptance of hate.
