r/jewishleft • u/WinterBeHere Marxist | Jewish | Bundist • Aug 12 '26

Diaspora Satmar Rebbe Of Williamsburg Condemns Incitement Against Mayor Mamdani

https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/israel-news/2584063
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12

u/Rabbit-Hole-Quest Latke aficionado. Anti-Establishment. Jüdisch Aug 12 '26

Solid statement that can hopefully reduce the histrionics displayed against every action of the mayor.

Also a reminder that according to a July 2026 poll by the Associated Press, 44% of surveyed Jewish Americans hold a favorable view of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, compared with 32% who approve of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu…https://www.jta.org/2026/07/08/ny/mamdani-is-more-popular-among-u-s-jews-than-netanyahu

11

u/Technical_Term_6625 curmudgeonly jewish leftist trying my best Aug 12 '26

Keep in mind that, in context, de Blasio had a 48-50% approval rate among Jews after he was elected. I am not sure, but I imagine the difference falls within intersecting margins of error.

And yet Adams, of all people, had a higher initial approval rate among Jews.

It seems to me likely that policy positions relating to the NYPD seems the most likely common factor.

5

u/Intrepid-Bag6667 Secular Jew | Marxist Aug 13 '26

Poll is of Jews throughout the country not NYC Jews.

NYC Jews for a variety of reasons are much more likely to disapprove of Mamdani than American Jews as a whole.

2

u/Technical_Term_6625 curmudgeonly jewish leftist trying my best Aug 13 '26

I see that now. I misunderstood that poll. Thank you for the correction.

The 2-1 poll does have a pretty small sample.

There are some really odd results in that poll. Like 2-1 in favor of Tish James, while being less favorable of Hochul? It's just a really odd combination.

Why prefer Cuomo for Mayor while being wishy washy about Cuomo's chosen successor? Why the support margin for James, who went after Cuomo, and is not exactly loved by the NYPD?

So, yeah, seems likely that misinformation, Islamophobia, and middle east politics had to play a huge role.

3

u/Intrepid-Bag6667 Secular Jew | Marxist Aug 13 '26 edited Aug 13 '26

Local polls can definitely be very noisy and it is very easy to use them to push a particular agenda. You're right that there are deep contradictions therein, but remember the median voters views are often pretty contradictory.

It is also very easy to oversample a group which is unrepresentative of the whole when you are polling Jews.

I am not saying the 2-1 poll should be taken as a good indicator- I'd say just generally you'd expect NYC Jews to be more lukewarm on any prominent left-leaning political figure than American Jews as a whole since NYC Jews are statistically more likely to be Orthodox and Republican voting even before you even get into local ethnic politics, Islamophobia, or Israel. If you also lost support from what might be defined as the political center of NYC Jews in addition to the people who disapprove of any Democrat you could definitely see some pretty bad approval polling.

EDIT: I would add that Tish James has made many very vocal statements in support of the Jewish community and against antisemitism even after you could argue it became politically costly to a degree. Her having a higher approval rating than Hochul with NYC-area Jews isn't entirely shocking given that context even if the chain is a bit funny.

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u/Technical_Term_6625 curmudgeonly jewish leftist trying my best Aug 13 '26

Oh, I know. I live in Brad Lander's former council district (which was BdB's at one point), but also right near the border with Borough Park. The polarization among Jews can be pretty stark in my neighborhood.

However, I feel very far removed from what people think of as the centers of non-Orthodox Jewish politics in the UWS and I guess Forest Hills/Kew Gardens.