This piece first ran as part of The Countdown, our daily newsletter rounding up all the developments in the New York City mayor’s race. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. There are 47 days to the election.
📝 The definition of antisemitism
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Two congressmen, Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York and Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, have slammed Mamdani for opposing a definition of antisemitism published by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.
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In June, Mayor Eric Adams signed an executive order recognizing the IHRA definition in city agencies. But Mamdani said in a Bloomberg News interview that he would stop using the definition as mayor because it conflates anti-Zionism with antisemitism.
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The IHRA definition does not mention Zionism, though it identifies some forms of Israel criticism as antisemitic. Read more about why the IHRA definition is controversial.
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Lawler and Gottheimer, who is Jewish, called Mamdani’s stance on the definition “shameful, dangerous, and completely disgusting” in a joint statement. They added, “Let’s be extremely clear: the BDS movement is antisemitic.” Mamdani told Bloomberg that he continues to “support BDS and nonviolent approaches to address Israeli state violence.”
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The House members are pushing in Congress for the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which would legally codify the IHRA definition.
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A spokesperson for Mamdani said he will “approach antisemitism in line with the Biden Administration’s National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism,” which “emphasizes education, community engagement, and accountability to reverse the normalization of antisemitism and promote open dialogue.”
🎬 Cuomo nabs the Woody Allen vote
Woody Allen speaks during an interview with Free Press editor Bari Weiss, published Sept. 17, 2025. (Screenshot)
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Woody Allen shared his vote in an interview on the “Honestly with Bari Weiss” podcast.
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“I’m going to vote for Cuomo,” said Allen. “I feel Mamdani is perfectly nice. I think he’s fine. His heart’s in the right place, he wants nice things, but I think Cuomo will do a much better job.”
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Allen, the archetypal New York Jew of film who has been sidelined in recent years over allegations of sexual misconduct, is a longtime Democrat who voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
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Nonetheless, he praised President Donald Trump as “a very good actor” earlier this month on Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast. He directed Trump in the 1998 film “Celebrity.” “If he would let me direct him now that he’s president, I think I could do wonders,” said Allen.
🤝 Mamdani and Sanders chat foreign policy
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Mamdani and Sen. Bernie Sanders, one of his most prominent Jewish allies, talked all things mayoral in a conversation released by his campaign. Sanders was the mayor of Burlington, Vermont, for eight years.
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Mamdani, who is well-known for his pro-Palestinian advocacy and criticism of Israel, asked Sanders about speaking against U.S. foreign policy as a mayor. A photo in the video depicted Mamdani wearing a T-shirt that said, “Stop arming Israel.”
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Sanders started with a caution. “First of all, you’ve got to do your job. You’re not running for president of the United States. You’re running for mayor of New York City,” he said. But he added, “Sometimes, as the leader of a great city, you do have the right to reflect the views of the people in your city on some of the important issues facing the country.”
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Sanders also said, “The American people do not want to continue to spend billions of dollars supporting Netanyahu’s extremist government, which is wreaking havoc and destruction on the Palestinian people.”
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On Wednesday, Sanders became the first senator to join Mamdani in saying that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
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